6 Ducats - I György Rákóczi

György Rákóczi I secured the Transylvanian throne in 1630 after defeating his rival Zólyomi at the Battle of Sztojka, and these large multiple-ducat pieces were struck during the early years of his consolidation of power. Six-ducat multiples were not trade coins in any practical sense — they functioned as presentation pieces, distributed as diplomatic gifts and rewards to military commanders. Very few were ever meant to change hands in commerce.

The KM# 209 type was struck across multiple years with considerable die variation between issues. Survivors in any condition are scarce; the combination of low original production and the melting pressures of the Thirty Years' War, which drew Rákóczi into costly military campaigns in Royal Hungary by 1644, accounts for the near-absence of these pieces in European collections today.