DOI Heft:
I. Artykuly
DOI Artikel:Ivanauskas, Eugenijus: Produce of tykocin mint
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21229#0105
1567 the Prussians complained about the production of Tykocin mint4. The
king’s decree of March 27, 1572 stipulated that little groats struck in Tykocin
should not be differentiated from other Polish groats5. That is all the eviden-
ce which can be referred to in studies of the history of Tykocin mint.
We have already noted that in terms of design the 1566 little groats
with S. Myszkowski’s arms do not differ from the little groats of 1566-
-1568, which bear Columns arms instead of the arms of the said person6.
All these coins form a coherent group from the stylistic point of view. The
graphics of letters bears no difference, and the technical striking quality
is the same. Therefore, tire opinion that Tykocin mint had only operated
for a year and that coins with S. Myszkowski’s arms alone had been produ-
ced there, can be treated as a misunderstanding.
In view of the conclusion that all the little groats of 1566-1568 were
struck in Tykocin, the meaning of the words of the king’s decree of 1572
becomes clear. The latter does not divide little groats into those struck in
Tykocin or Vilnius. 1 believe that this was meaningless.
Assessment of the appearance of other coins struck in 1564-1568 leads
to further conclusions. It is beyond doubt, that Tykocin mint struck three-
groats in 1565-1566 (fig. 2), as well as halftalers and talers in 1564 (fig. 3).
The appearance of the Knight and the Eagle on these coins is the same,
and so is the letters’ graphics. The graphics of S letter is especially speci-
fic. One can suppose that two die sinkers were employed at the Vilnius
mint at that time, which is impossible due to the following reason. From
1562, the die sinker of Vilnius mint was Albrecht Kerlein7. Products ma-
nufactured with his dies are stylistically coherent. He used two types of
similar Knights. The letter graphics is the same. The die sinker’s style is
seen in all the cases. Albrecht Kerlein made dies to countersign Italian
coins of 1564, and for threegroats of 1564, halfgroats of 1564—1565, two-
groats of 1565, fourgroats of 1565-1568, double penny of 1566-1567, and
talers of 1565 with the king’s portrait. In 1564-1565, the productive inten-
sity of Vilnius mint fluctuated insignificantly or did not change at all. Ti-
thuanian hoards have yielded 441 halfgroat of 1564 and 310 halfgroats of
4 Ibid.
5 I. Zagórski, Monety dawnej Polski, teksty do tablic (réédition). Warszawa 1977, p. 124
6 E. Ivanauskas, Tikocino monetu kalykla, Voruta, 1992, no 14, p. 3
' Biblioteka Polskiej Akademii Nauk w Kórniku (further on - Bibl. Kórnicka), Opis
rękopisów 250, L. 57v.
103
king’s decree of March 27, 1572 stipulated that little groats struck in Tykocin
should not be differentiated from other Polish groats5. That is all the eviden-
ce which can be referred to in studies of the history of Tykocin mint.
We have already noted that in terms of design the 1566 little groats
with S. Myszkowski’s arms do not differ from the little groats of 1566-
-1568, which bear Columns arms instead of the arms of the said person6.
All these coins form a coherent group from the stylistic point of view. The
graphics of letters bears no difference, and the technical striking quality
is the same. Therefore, tire opinion that Tykocin mint had only operated
for a year and that coins with S. Myszkowski’s arms alone had been produ-
ced there, can be treated as a misunderstanding.
In view of the conclusion that all the little groats of 1566-1568 were
struck in Tykocin, the meaning of the words of the king’s decree of 1572
becomes clear. The latter does not divide little groats into those struck in
Tykocin or Vilnius. 1 believe that this was meaningless.
Assessment of the appearance of other coins struck in 1564-1568 leads
to further conclusions. It is beyond doubt, that Tykocin mint struck three-
groats in 1565-1566 (fig. 2), as well as halftalers and talers in 1564 (fig. 3).
The appearance of the Knight and the Eagle on these coins is the same,
and so is the letters’ graphics. The graphics of S letter is especially speci-
fic. One can suppose that two die sinkers were employed at the Vilnius
mint at that time, which is impossible due to the following reason. From
1562, the die sinker of Vilnius mint was Albrecht Kerlein7. Products ma-
nufactured with his dies are stylistically coherent. He used two types of
similar Knights. The letter graphics is the same. The die sinker’s style is
seen in all the cases. Albrecht Kerlein made dies to countersign Italian
coins of 1564, and for threegroats of 1564, halfgroats of 1564—1565, two-
groats of 1565, fourgroats of 1565-1568, double penny of 1566-1567, and
talers of 1565 with the king’s portrait. In 1564-1565, the productive inten-
sity of Vilnius mint fluctuated insignificantly or did not change at all. Ti-
thuanian hoards have yielded 441 halfgroat of 1564 and 310 halfgroats of
4 Ibid.
5 I. Zagórski, Monety dawnej Polski, teksty do tablic (réédition). Warszawa 1977, p. 124
6 E. Ivanauskas, Tikocino monetu kalykla, Voruta, 1992, no 14, p. 3
' Biblioteka Polskiej Akademii Nauk w Kórniku (further on - Bibl. Kórnicka), Opis
rękopisów 250, L. 57v.
103