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Półgrosz koronny / Z MIEDZI KRAIOWEY / - Stanisław August Poniatowski Warszawa mint
| Issuer | Royal Mint of Warsaw |
|---|---|
| Year | 1786 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely occupied by a four-line Polish-language inscription in large, bold serif capital letters reading POŁ / GROSZA / Z MIEDZI / KRAIOW:, signifying 'half grosz of domestic copper,' referencing the patriotic monetary reform initiative of Stanisław August Poniatowski. Below the inscription, the mintmaster's initials E.B. appear in the lower field, separated by a central stop. The reeded border frames the inscribed field on all sides. |
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| Additional information |
The "z miedzi kraiowey" inscription — meaning "of domestic copper" — was a deliberate political statement. Poland's copper coinage had long depended on foreign metal, and Poniatowski's treasury made a point of advertising the shift to domestically sourced material during the 1780s reforms. The phrase appeared on these minor copper issues as a form of economic nationalism at a moment when the Commonwealth's sovereignty was already being squeezed from every direction by its neighbors.
Kopicki 2175 places this among the later Warsaw półgrosz issues. The domestic copper used in these strikes was notoriously inconsistent in purity, which contributes to the surface granularity seen across the type.