Grosz koronny - Sigismund III Vasa Kraków - counterfeit

Contemporary counterfeits of the grosz koronny circulated widely during Sigismund III's reign, a period when the Crown's monetary system was under sustained strain from wars with Sweden, Muscovy, and the Ottoman frontier. The genuine issue was a low-denomination workhorse coin, which made it an attractive target — the face value was modest enough that recipients rarely scrutinized individual pieces. Silver-plated copper forgeries entered circulation through trade networks and troop payments, where volume moved faster than suspicion.