1 Poltura - I György Rákóczi

György Rákóczi I secured the Transylvanian throne in 1630 with Ottoman backing and spent much of his reign navigating the precarious balance between Habsburg pressure and Porte obligations. The poltura denomination sat at the lower end of Transylvanian silver coinage, struck in large numbers to serve domestic commerce in a principality whose monetary supply was perpetually squeezed by war levies and tribute payments to Constantinople. By 1637 Rákóczi had consolidated enough internal stability to mint consistently, though the silver content of these small pieces was already being watched closely by a population accustomed to debasement from earlier reigns.