Orts are a denomination widespread especially in the 17th century. In Poland, their minting was initiated by Sigismund III Vasa and the miners of Gdansk. Their minting continued during the reigns of Jan Kazimierz, Jan III Sobieski and August III Sas. Under Stanislaw Augustus, such a coin did not enter circulation.
Stanislaw August soon after assuming the throne began issuing coins at first in Cracow in 1765, and from 1766 also at the Warsaw Mint. On February 10, 1766, a monetary reform came into effect, introducing the thaler-gold system, where the thaler was worth 8 zlotys, while the zloty was worth 4 silver pennies, or 30 copper pennies. Under this system, an ort worth 18 silver pennies would thus be the equivalent of 4.5 zlotys not integrated into the daily system of accounting.
The coin we are offering is a very rare sample of an 18 penny coin - an ort designed before the monetary reform. This coin was minted in an unknown mintage. To this day it is known in a few pieces - from the collections of Chominski, Frankiewicz, Hutten-Czapski, from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw, and the historic 50 WCN auction. The latter was the last piece offered on the private market. Its rarity may also be evidenced by Berezowski's valuation of 250 zlotys, which is the highest of the valuations given for Poniatowski coins.
The coin comes from the Potocki collection, one of the largest and most famous coin collections in Polish history.
Item with sub-degradation due to annealing, with visible damage and background honing.
An item absent from virtually any private collection, sought after in any state of preservation. The first opportunity in over a decade and only the second in the history of the Polish auction market to acquire this item!
Obverse: head of Stanislaw August facing right, surrounded by legend:
STANISLAUS AUG(ustus).D(ei).G(ratia).REX POL(oniae).M(agni).D(ux).L(ithuaniae).(Stanislaw Augustus by God's grace King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania);
Reverse: round heraldic cartouche, five-field; in four fields alternately coats of arms of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, centrally in an additional round field the Ciołek coat of arms of the Poniatowski family; the cartouche crowned with the royal crown and surrounded by a palm wreath girded with the Order of the White Eagle on a ribbon; at the jewel of the Order initials FS of Frederick Sylma and the denomination marking 1-8; in the rim a legend explaining the denomination:
66 2/3 EX MARCA PURA COL.1766;
Silver, diameter 26.5-27 mm, weight 5.82 g.
