W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

Descriptive Outline of the Coinages of Europe 353
reign, produced a succession of admirable silver and gold
types, which supplied models to neighbouring states.
It was in 1507, almost exactly at the commencement of
the previous reign, that dates were first inserted ;
and the
practice was strictly followed in conjunction with a second
equally important and still more unusual, the mark of value.
The year and date appealed even to a not very highly
educated community.
The thaler of 30 groschen or marques had been introduced
in 1564 by Sigismund II. for Livonia, and was
continued by Stephen Bathori and the other independent
kings down to the close of the autonomy, when the Russian
poltina and rouble replaced
it. There is a poltina of
the Czar Alexander I., 1814. Of the money of the grandduchy
of Warsaw and the revolutionary movement of 1831
we speak elsewhere.
Henri, Due d'Anjou, elected king in 1573, and called to
the throne of France in the following year, is not known to
have had any distinct Polish coinage ;
but down to the last
his own money describes him as ruling over both kingdoms;
and his gold ecus are among the earliest pieces in that metal
associated with Poland. There is a gold ducat of Sigismund
II.
(1557) struck at Dantzic, with his crowned bust, and
others of variant types of Stephen Bathori, 1580, 1584,
1586; and we have the double and triple ducat with the
names of Lladislas (1632-48), John Casimir (1648-68), and
Michael Koribut (1668-74). John III., Sobieski (1674-97),
had the ducat of which we engrave the issue for 1677, and
doubtless the multiples which we have not seen ;
and the
series extended to 1791, when the end was very near, and
the coinage was transferred to Leipsic.
This grand-duchy may be regarded as the source of the
first aggrandisement of Poland through the marriage of the
house of Jagellon or Jagiello to the heiress of the
Li
L
h
ivoniL
r
Polish throne. The armed horseman on the
Russian money, eventually developed into St.
George and the Dragon, was of Livonian origin, and occurs
on the Polish coinage for that province under Alexander I.
2 A