Pomeranian Duchy Grosz

The most striking fact about the Pomeranian Duchy Grosz is that it often featured the Swedish three crowns on its reverse, a direct imprint of the region's uneasy alliance with Sweden during the Thirty Years' War.

This coin, minted in places like Stettin, used silver from local mines, sometimes alloyed with copper to stretch supplies amid the chaos. Weights varied between 1.5 and 2 grams, reflecting the era's inconsistent standards. Bogusław XIV, the duke, authorized these issues from 1637 until his death in 1657, though Swedish oversight meant designs borrowed heavily from Stockholm's output.

Exact mintage figures are lost to history; archives burned in later conflicts. I've handled a few over the years, and they're unassuming, really—just small pieces that outlasted empires.

Collectors sometimes claim these grosz foretold Prussia's rise. They didn't.