FASCICULI ARCHAKOLOGIAt HISTORICAL, Fase. III. 1988 PL ISSN 0860-0007 JERZY PINIŃSKI POMERANIAN COINS FROM THE 16th- 18th CENTURIES STATE OF INVESTIGATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES West Pomerania is a specific territory at the point Museum in Szczecin. However, even this collection is of contact of several cultures. That is why it is totally not complete. In other Polish museums modern West different, from the point of view of minting history as Pomeranian coins are represented in more than in- well, from other territories of Polish country. Initially, conspicuous way. One can only mention here a small having been settled by the Slavic tribes, Pomerania was number of West Pomeranian coins in Regional Mu- the aim of expansion from various sides. Having been seum in Słupsk, few treasures preserved in Regional not powerful enough to protect itself against that Museum in Koszalin and a very modest collection in expansion, the country resorted the policy of maintai- National Museum in Warsaw which possesses several ning the balance in relations with its neighbours and interesting specimens yet no research basis. Pomeranian dukes often had to recognize the sove- There is no significant private collection of West reignty of foreign rulers paying homage to them. Pomeranian coins in Poland. The best example illu- Pomerania was subdued by Denmark, the Empire, strating this paucity is the number of gold west Brandenburg and Poland. In this way, west Pomera- Pomeranian coins preserved in collections which nian dukes managed to maintain a relative indepen- comes up to 2 specimens and any Polish museum does dence for half a thousand years though it was not an not possess a single gold coin from the ducal period. absolute independence. What is more, the supply of West Pomeranian coins is This specific political situation of the discussed also very inconspicuous which does not seem to be of Duchy brought about the increased interest in the great hope for the development of source basis in the history of minting of West Pomerania manifested by nearest future. A little more promising are collections researchers from various countries to which this terri- of these coins abroad. The most significant are collec- tory was related in different historical periods. First of tions of Pomeranian coins in Hermitage in Leningrad, all, there were German, Swedish and Polish scientists. in Numismatic Department of State Museum in Berlin, On the other hand, being situated peripherally to all in Museum in Stralsund, in Historical Museum of these countries Pomerania evoked rather scanny inte- Frankfurt am Main and in State Historical Museum in rest, also peripheral. Hence, papers devoted to mintage Stockholm. of this region were not numerous with more unsolved The number of papers dealing with West Pomera- than precisely elaborated subjects and many issues nian mintage and circulation of the currency in this remaining a white spot till this day. territory is less than inconspicuous. The same concerns For the mediaeval period we have a synthesis,1 the amount of coin catalogues and other works. We though almost 100 years old still providing a reference have at our disposal no single catalogue which would for further studies which were not very numerous yet contain the total material concerning Pomeranian th conducted both before and after the IInd World War, in coinage. The only more complete catalogue is the 7 2 case of modern times the situation is much worse. We volume of E. Kopicki's works. It includes the coinage do not possess a total synthesis and separate problems of Pomeranian dukes beginning with Bogusław X till are very seldom undertaken to be discussed. the decline of Gryfit dynasty in 1637, coins struck by Moreover, the source basis is also very limited. The the Swedish rulers for West Pomerania in the period of only Polish collection which may provide some infor- 1640- 1809 and Brandenburgian coins mint-edited to mation for studies is the collection of coins in National 2 E. К o p i с к i, Katalog podstawowych typów monet i bank- 1 H. Dannenberg, Münzgeschichte Pommerns in Mittel- notów Polski oraz ziem historycznie z Polską związanych, 1, Monety alter, Berlin 1893, Nachtrag 1896. pomorskie XVI-XIX w., Warszawa 1981. www.rcin.org.pl 60 JERZY PINIŃSKI celebrate the capture of Szczecin in 1677. However, in coins not including any further information about this work there are omitted the mint-editions of the them. town of Strzałów and coins struck by Brandenburgian Brandenburgian and Prussian coins struck in West elector in 1689-1695 and by the Prussian king in 1753 Pomerania were presented in E. Bahrfeldt's paper — 1754 in the territory of West Pomerania. Moreover, devoted to Brandenburgian minting,9 in the catalogue Kopicki's catalogue comprises only basic types of to Malbork collection by the same author10 and also West Pomeranian coins, which has been indicated in in a survey of Prussian mintage in the 18th century by the title, and the author has not seen many coins in F. Schrötter.11 original basing himself on the literature of the subject Catalogues mentioned above give a certain, which he used indeed in full. through incomplete, picture of effects of mint produc- Duke's mintage as a whole is presented, though in tion in West Pomerania, yet the state of studies on a very delusive way, by J. Szwagrzyk in his survey of organization of modern minting in this area is much money in Poland.3 Further catalogues have dealt less advanced. Hildisch12 devoted a little but very only with some parts of the subject. Among them are significant article to the ducal period. The beginnings P. Bratring's study on coins of West Pomeranian of copper minting were studied by Piniński.13 F. Beh- dukes from the 16th century,4 not fully elaborated rens wrote about a mint in Franzburg.14 A mint in paper by the same author devoted to coins of the town Strzałów in the period of the Swedish reign was a 5 of Strzałów, and first of all recently published catalo- subject of R. Marsson's article.15 Szczecin mint under gue of J. Hildisch dealing with coinage of West the reigns of Charles XI and Charles XII was presented 6 Pomeranian dukes coming from modern times. It is in a short paper by F. Schrötter.16 A mint in Stargard an excellent catalogue, critically elaborated, richly Szczeciński in Brandenburgian times was described by illustrated with photographs of coins and beautifully Bahrfeldt17 and recently by Piniński18 who also issued. However, it cannot be considered as the last devoted a short article to Szczecin mint in times of word in this respect since it contains exclusively the Prussian reign.19 West Pomeranian coinage in mo- basic types and variants of coins in West Pomerania. dern times was a subject of one of the chapters of The literature devoted to coins dating back to the Z. Żabiński's paper devoted to the coinage on the Swedish, Brandenburgian and Prussian reigns in West Polish territories.20 West Pomeranian minting of Pomerania after the decline of Gryfit dynasty in 1637 is modern period was also included in the popular work 7 very scanny. The catalogue of J. F. H. Oldenburg's of Piniński dealing with minting in this territory.21 collection printed 100 years ago was for a long time the only representative for coins of the Swedish part of West Pomerania. In 1967, coins of Pomerania and of the town of Strzałów dating back to the period of 9E. Bahrfeldt, Das Münzwesen der Mark Brandenburg,!, Berlin 1913. Swedish rule were gathered in B. Ahlström's catalogue, 10 reissued successively and devoted to coins struck in E. Bahrfeldt, Die Münzen- und Medaillensammlung in 8 der Marienburg, Danzig, without the date of publication. the territory occupied by Sweden in modern times. 11 F. Schrötter, Das preussiche Münzwesen im 18. Jahr- Being, first of all, of commercial character the very hundert, Berlin 1902-1913. catalogue cannot be satisfactory for it is limited to I2J. Hildisch, Studie über das nachmittelalterliche Münz- presentation of basic types and annuals of the struck wesen der Herzöge von Pommern, "Der Münzen- und Medaillen- sammler Berichte aus allen Gebieten der Geld-, Münzen und Medaillen künde" 1970, 10. 13J. Piniński, Najstarsze monety miedziane Pomorza Zachodniego, "Wiadomości Numizmatyczne" 1981, 25, 3 — 4. 3J. A. Szwagrzyk, Pieniądz na ziemiach polskich X —XX 14L. Behrens, Die Münzstätte Franzburg, "Berliner w., Wrocław 1973. Münzblätter", 1909. 4P. В r a t r i n g, Von den Münzen der pommerschen Herzoge 15 R. Marsson, Stralsund als königlich schwedische Münz- von Bogislaus X. his zum Ende des XVI. Jahrhundrets, [in:] stätte 1715-1815, "Zeitschrift für Numismatik" 1930, 11. Festschrift zur Feier des fünfzigjährigen Bestehens der Numismatis- 16F. Schrötter, Die Münzstätte in Stettin unter den chen Gesselschaft zu Berlin, Berlin 1893. Königen Karl XI und Karl XII von Schweden 1660-1710, "Zeits- 5 Р. В r a t r i n g, Über das Münzwesen der Stadt Stralsund in chrift für Numismatik", 1910, 28. neueren Zeiten, "Berliner Münzblätter" 1907. 17E. В a h r f e 1 d, op. cit. 6J. Hildisch, Die Münzen der pommerschen Herzöge von l8J. Piniński, Monety brandenbursko-pomorskie, "Biule- 1569 bis zum Erlöschen des Greifengeschlechtes, Köln — Wien 1980, cf tyn Numizmatyczny" 1975, 8. review of J. Piniński "Wiadomości Numizmatyczne" 1982, 27,1 — 2, 19 J. Piniński, Monety prusko-pomorskie, "Biuletyn Nu- pp. 108- 109. mizmatyczny" 1977, 6. 7J. F. H. Oldenburg, Beskrifning over J. F. H. Olden- 20 Z. Żabiński, Systemy pieniężne na ziemiach polskich, burgs samling, Stockholm 1883. Wrocław 1981, pp. 171-184. 8 В. A h 1 s t r ö m, Sveriges besittningsmynt 1561 — 1878, 21J.