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1 Ryal - Anonymous Riga, Countermark
| Issuer | Duchy of Livonia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1561-1621 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Ryal (10) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ЄD · · WΛRD' · DI · GRΛ' · RЄX · ΛNGL' · Z · FRΛn · · C DNS' · I · B' (Translation: Edward by the Grace of God King of England and France Lord of Ireland) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | IhC' · ΛVT' · TRΛnSIЄnS · PER · mЄDIVm · ILLORVm : I · BΛT (Translation: But Jesus passing through their midst went on His way) |
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| Additional information |
Riga's civic authorities began countermarking foreign gold ryals in 1561, the same year the Livonian Order collapsed under pressure from Ivan the Terrible's forces and the territory fragmented among Poland-Lithuania, Sweden, and Denmark. The countermark effectively re-legitimized coins whose original issuing authority had ceased to exist — a practical solution to a monetary vacuum during sixty years of contested sovereignty over the eastern Baltic.
The ryal itself originated as a Scottish or English denomination. That a northern European port city would countermark it speaks directly to Riga's role as a major Hanseatic trading hub, where Western European gold arrived constantly through Baltic commerce.