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10 Ducats 'Portugał' - Sigismund II Augustus Wilno mint
| Issuer | Mint of Vilnius (Wilno) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1562 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The Vytis (armoured knight on horseback) depicted as an armed rider galloping to the left, sword raised, set within an ornamental laurel wreath. Beneath the horse appear the Columns of Gediminas, the dynastic symbol of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, rendered as a triple-towered gate or pillared device. The central motif is enclosed within a beaded circle, beyond which a Latin circular legend runs between an inner beaded border and an outer beaded rim, giving the denomination and title of the issuing authority. |
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| Additional information |
The "Portugał" denomination takes its name from the Portuguese gold cruzado, which circulated widely enough in northern Europe during the sixteenth century that its weight standard became a reference unit for large-format gold multiples struck at Polish-Lithuanian mints. Sigismund II Augustus commissioned these heavy pieces less as circulating currency than as diplomatic gifts and presentation medals — the Vilnius mint's output of this type was never large, and surviving examples almost always show minimal wear consistent with that ceremonial function.
The 1562 date places this strike near the peak of Sigismund's consolidation of the Polish-Lithuanian union, finalized at Lublin seven years later. Kopicki 3336 is among the rarest entries in the series.