John II Casimir, Ducat Danzig 1660 DL - NGC MS62 - RARE BUST

Rare variety, with a new type of royal portrait, listed only 4 times on the Polish auction market.

A beautiful ducat with mint freshness.

Great presence.


Obverse: bust of the king facing right

IOH • CAS • D • G • REX • ​​POL • & SUEC • M • D • L • R • P

Reverse: lions supporting the city shield, a small wreath above the shield, a twig with a large leaf in the center, the initials D-L by Daniel Lesse under the lions' paws

MON • AUREA CIVITAT • GEDANENS • 1660 •


In 1656, after the death of the manager of the Danzig mint, Gerhard Rogge, he was succeeded by Daniel Lesse, whose initials appear on the presented ducat. Lesse was in charge of the Danzig Mint until the reign of John III Sobieski. Wardajn and the city's controller of the mint was Christian Schirmer, known from the previous reign. After Schirmer's death in 1660, i.e. in the year of our ducat, his son Christian Schirmer the Younger took over his functions. At that time, the engraver at the Gdańsk mint was Jan Höhn, an extremely talented and well-known Gdańsk medalist. During the reign of John Casimir, silver coins were minted in Danzig: szelag, doublet, ortos, half-thalers and two-dollar coins, as well as gold coins: ducats, one and a half ducats and two ducats. Ducats were minted per Hungarian foot from 23.5 carat gold for 56 pieces of gross Krakow fine and they had an average weight of 3.56 g.