A 1771 semi-talar from a trial issue, not put into circulation, whose stamps were prepared by the royal court medallicist Jan Filip Holzhausser.
The issue was made in pure silver to prevent massive counterfeiting of Polish coinage at Prussian mints. Beautiful iconography, depicting a heated mint furnace under a sentence referring to the idea of new coins: VINCIT FRAUDEM - Counterfeit wins.
Original old minting.
Although proof coins by design should be in mint condition, this rule does not apply to 1771 proofs. Usually they are found in states that clearly deviate from mint condition, the reasons for which can be attributed to the soft bullion (pure silver), as well as the fact that after minting they were to be tested to see how the metal behaves in use.
The present piece with traces of circulation and former surface cleaning. No traces of pendant or setting.
A high denomination from a rare and prized issue.
Silver, diameter 33.5 mm, weight 11.40 g.
