Dwuzłotówka koronna - Stanisław August Poniatowski Warszawa mint

By 1771, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's monetary system was under severe strain — the currency had been debased repeatedly over the preceding decades, and the Sejm was deadlocked on reform. This copper two-złoty piece belongs to a transitional coinage issued under Poniatowski as he attempted to assert some degree of fiscal coherence against the interference of neighboring powers who had every interest in keeping Polish finances unstable. Russia in particular had long used currency manipulation as a tool of political pressure.

Kop. 2396 is among the more locatable varieties of this reign, though Warsaw mint copper from this period varies considerably in planchet quality.