Extremely rare trojak of Sigismund II Augustus.
A beautifully preserved, perfectly struck piece. Excellent mint luster.
Anextremely rare curiosity, sporadically appearing in trade, mostly in circulating condition.
Coin once attributed to the Vilna mint, now to Tykocin.
The issue is customarily called a mockingbird due to the use of a quote from the Psalm of David on the reverse: QVI HABITAT IN COELIS IRRIDEBIT OES. The quote, which was translated as: "he who dwells in heaven will mock them." The quote is said to have provoked outrage among the nobility and the dismissal of the Tykocin mintmaster Gabriel Tarla.
Recently, B. Paszkiewicz has proposed an interpretation of the quote as a declaration of royal will linked to preparations for the Polish-Lithuanian union.
An item missing from most collections, it could be an ornament to almost any collection of such Lithuanian coins, coins of Sigismund Augustus or trojaks.
Obverse: in the pearl rim Pogoń to the left, below it between the triplets the denomination mark III, in the outer rim the legend started with a leaf with punctuation in the form of triplets:
SIGISM AVG REX POL MAG D L;
Reverse: inscription in four lines ending with a trifoliate:
QVI/HABITAT IN/COELIS IRRI/DEBIT EOS; below, the date between the trifoliate leaves punctuated by a crowned royal monogram with a grand ducal mitre: 15-66;
Definitely recommended!
