1 Groshen - Ștefan III cel Mare

Ștefan cel Mare ruled Moldavia for 47 years — an extraordinary tenure for a medieval prince — during which he fought roughly 36 battles, the majority against Ottoman expansion. His coinage was functional war-chest currency, used to pay mercenaries and finance a military apparatus that kept Moldavia independent long after neighboring principalities had capitulated. Pope Sixtus IV reportedly called him *athleta Christi*, the champion of Christ, following his victory at Vaslui in 1475.

At 0.59g, these groschen circulated well below the weight standard of contemporary Polish or Bohemian issues, reflecting Moldavia's limited silver access rather than deliberate debasement.