Ort koronny / 18 Groszy - Jan II Kazimierz Waza Kraków mint

The ort — a quarter thaler — became a fiscal pressure valve for the Commonwealth during the catastrophic wars of the 1650s and 1660s. Jan II Kazimierz's reign saw simultaneous conflicts with Sweden, Russia, Brandenburg, and Transylvania; the treasury was effectively bankrupt for most of it. Kraków itself fell to Swedish forces in 1655, forcing temporary suspension of mint operations there.

The Kop#1732-1776 range covers an unusually wide spread of die varieties, many distinguished by punctuation differences in the king's titulature. Collectors working this series forensically tend to focus on the bust varieties, of which Kopicki distinguishes at least a dozen for this mint and reign alone.