POLAND, Monarchs. Zygmunt III Waza, 1587-1632. 3 Grosze (Trojak) 1606 K (Silver, 21 mm, 1.82 g, 12 h), Transylvanian imitation of an Trojak from Krakow (Kopicki 871), unknown mint in Transylvania. SIGISM III D G - REX POM D L Crowned and cuirassed bust of Zygmunt III to right, Lewart arms below . Rev. III / GROSA•RG / IRIP.RIG / POLONI / 90 K 06 in five lines; above, value above eagle, Vasa arms and armoured knight on a horse. Extremely rare and of great interest. Minor areas of weakness, deposits and some doubling, otherwise, good very fine.


Originating in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Trojaks became one of the most widely circulated and popular coin types in the greater Polish-Lithuanian region during the late 16th and 17th centuries. Their acceptance extended far beyond the borders of the Royal Republic. As a result, imitations of these popular coins began to appear-especially in Moldavia and Transylvania. While these imitations were often struck in decent silver, they were typically underweight and can be readily identified by their so called barbaric style.

On our piece, the portrait appears crude and awkward. That said, clumsy portraits are not exclusive to unofficial issues- examples from official mints such as Lublin (see Lot 6110) show similar traits. What clearly identifies this fascinating specimen as an imitation, however, is the reverse. Instead of the expected ‘TRIP REG / POLONI’ legend found on official issues, the coin bears the garbled inscription ‘IRIP REG / POINI’. Additionally, the inverted date—[16]90—is followed by a correct repetition of [16]06, further betraying the coin’s origin.

These imitations are extremely rare. For a comparable but significantly less barbarized example, see: Antykwariat Michał Niemczyk 6, 25 October 2014, lot 67.