Elbing — today Elbląg in northern Poland — was a prosperous Hanseatic trading city that passed under Swedish military control in 1626 when Gustav II Adolf captured it during the Polish-Swedish War. The city retained limited municipal minting rights under occupation, and this four-ducat piece belongs to that constrained administrative window, issued in the king's name but by civic authority. Heavy multi-ducat gold was overwhelmingly a presentation and diplomatic currency in this period; a piece of this weight would not have changed hands at a market stall.
Kopicki 9629 is a recognized rarity within the Swedish occupation series for Elbing, with documented examples numbering in the single digits across major collections.
Elbing — today Elbląg in northern Poland — was a prosperous Hanseatic trading city that passed under Swedish military control in 1626 when Gustav II Adolf captured it during the Polish-Swedish War. The city retained limited municipal minting rights under occupation, and this four-ducat piece belongs to that constrained administrative window, issued in the king's name but by civic authority. Heavy multi-ducat gold was overwhelmingly a presentation and diplomatic currency in this period; a piece of this weight would not have changed hands at a market stall.
Kopicki 9629 is a recognized rarity within the Swedish occupation series for Elbing, with documented examples numbering in the single digits across major collections.