Szeląg litewski - Jan II Kazimierz Waza Brześć mint

The boratynki — as these copper szelągi were popularly known, after treasurer Tytus Liwiusz Boratini who held the mint contract — became one of the most reviled coins in Commonwealth history. Boratini's 1659 proposal to flood the market with low-value copper coinage to finance the ongoing wars against Muscovy and Sweden was controversial from the start, and justifiably so. The resulting mass issues triggered severe inflation and widespread counterfeiting, ultimately contributing to the monetary chaos that destabilized the Commonwealth's economy through the 1660s and beyond.

The Brześć (Brest-Litovsk) mint operated under the Lithuanian treasury's authority, distinct from the Crown mints. Dies from this facility show characteristic inconsistencies in strike depth.