Elbing came under Swedish control in 1626 when Gustav II Adolf seized the city as part of his campaign to dominate Polish Prussia and cut off revenue flowing to Sigismund III Vasa. The Swedish crown promptly used the city's mint — already an established producer of Polish-standard coinage — to fund the ongoing war, striking półtoraks that were nominally compatible with the Polish monetary system but served Swedish military finances.
The sheer number of Koppicki varieties catalogued for this short run reflects aggressive, high-volume production with frequent die changes. These coins circulated alongside genuine Polish-Lithuanian issues, which was precisely the point.
Elbing came under Swedish control in 1626 when Gustav II Adolf seized the city as part of his campaign to dominate Polish Prussia and cut off revenue flowing to Sigismund III Vasa. The Swedish crown promptly used the city's mint — already an established producer of Polish-standard coinage — to fund the ongoing war, striking półtoraks that were nominally compatible with the Polish monetary system but served Swedish military finances.
The sheer number of Koppicki varieties catalogued for this short run reflects aggressive, high-volume production with frequent die changes. These coins circulated alongside genuine Polish-Lithuanian issues, which was precisely the point.