6 Grossus - Friedrich Casimir Kettler Mitau

Friedrich Casimir ruled Courland at a moment of acute financial strain — the duchy had never fully recovered from Swedish occupation during the 1650s, and by the 1690s the ducal mint at Mitau was producing small silver denominations partly to address chronic shortages of local currency. Friedrich Casimir died in 1698 without a legitimate heir, triggering a succession crisis that eventually drew Russian interference and set Courland on its long path toward absorption into the Russian Empire.

The Mitau mint operated intermittently under his rule, and 1694 issues across denominations are catalogued with meaningful variety spread — Kopicki's listing at 4071 reflects only one of several die combinations documented for this type.