Poland Lithuania Counterstamp 1/2 Talar August Jagiello The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - War Against Russia Start Price USD 29,750.00 Current Price USD 29,750.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, July 17, 2008 End Time Thursday, July 24, 2008 Location "LIVE FREE OR DIE" See more about 'Poland Lithuania Counterstamp 1/2 Talar August Jagiello' Description We are located in Canaan, New Hampshire, as its only full time coin dealer and regularly attend both regional and major national coin shows.Our long-standing network of contacts and our good reputation give us access to the very best purchasing sources, making it possible for us to secure the best and rarest collectors pieces for our customers. In the past years, we have been increasingly successful in building up unusual and valuable collections. Our satisfied customers include both private collectors and public institutions.Buy  with  confidence !Thank You *   *   *   *   *Just wait  12 secons  for large image.  LARGE  PHOTO  ...   LITHUANIA. Sigismund (Zygmunt) II August, Jagiello, 1544-1572, King of Poland from 1548. Counterstamped Coinage. Half Talara (30 Groszy, Póltalar), 1564. Crowned SA monogram dividing date countermarked in oval on the reverse of a Naples ½ Ducato of Don Felipe II of Spain (armored bust of the Spanish king r., monogram behind/Crowned and garnished Arms; POPVLO legend). Kop.3338 (R5), HCz 535 (R2), Gum.634. Rare and of historic interest. Lightly toned. Both the c/m and host are Good Extremely Fine. EF-45 (PCGS). In 1556, Bona Sforza, wife of Sigismund I Stary, Duchess of Bari and mother of Sigismund II August loaned out 430,000 Ducats to the new king of Spain Felipe II, who had inherited huge debt from his father Charles V. In that same year, Bona Sforza left Poland to return to Bari. A year later she was dead, poisoned by her personal secretary, Gian Lorenzo Pappacoda, reputedly on behalf of Felipe II who wanted to avoid repaying her. Sigismund II August received part of his inheritance from his mother in Italian Ducatos and Mezzo Ducatos stamped with the image of the Spanish ruler Carlos V and, ironically, of Felipe II. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, meanwhile, found itself, along with Denmark and Sweden, embroiled in the Livonian War (1558-1582) against Russia over the territories that had been acquired when the Livonian Order was dissolved. Sigismund II, though, was short on funds to finance military actions and decided to use the Italian Ducatos and Half Ducatos he had inherited to pay his troops. To ensure their circulation at a fixed rate, the coins were counterstamped. Images and description are from The Belzberg Auction Catalog by Stack's NY. The coin is a property of Monarchy Auction LLC. If You like to see the images of this coin in PCGS holder just send us e-mail . Sigismund II Augustus I  (Polish: Zygmunt II August I, Ruthenian: Żygimont III Awgust I, Lithuanian: Žygimantas III Augustas I, German: Sigismund II. August; 1 August 1520 — 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. Married three times, the last of the Jagiellons remained childless, and thus the Union of Lublin introduced Elective monarchy. Royal titles Royal titles, in Latin: "Sigismundus Augustus Dei gratia rex Poloniae, magnus dux Lithuaniae, nec non terrarum Cracoviae, Sandomiriae, Siradiae, Lanciciae, Cuiaviae, Kijoviae, Russiae, Woliniae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Podlachiae, Culmensis, Elbingensis, Pomeraniae, Samogitiae, Livoniae etc. dominus et haeres." English translation: "Sigismund Augustus, by the Grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Lord and heir of the Lands of Kraków, Sandomierz, Sieradz, Łęczyca, Kuyavia, Kiev, Hereditary Lord of Ruthenia, Volhynia, Royal Prussia, Masovia, Podlachia, Culmer Land, Elbing, Pomerania, Samogitia, Livonia etc." Sigismund II possessed to a high degree the tenacity and patience that seem to have characterized all the Jagiellons, and he added to these qualities a dexterity and diplomatic finesse which he may have inherited from his Italian mother. No other Polish king seems to have so thoroughly understood the nature of the Polish sejm. Both the Austrian ambassadors and the papal legates testify to the care with which he controlled his nation. Everything went as he wished, they said, because he seemed to know everything in advance. He managed to get more money than his father ever could, and at one of his sejms he won the hearts of the assembly by unexpectedly appearing before them in the simple grey coat of a Masovian squire. Like his father, a pro-Austrian by conviction, he contrived even in this respect to carry with him the nation, always distrustful of the Germans, and thus avoided serious complications with the dangerous Turks. Sigismund II mediated for twenty years between the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants without alienating the sympathies of either. His most striking memorial, however, may have been the Union of Lublin, which finally made of Poland and Lithuania one body politic, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth — the "Republic of the Two Nations" (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów, Lithuanian: Abiejų Tautų Respublika). Also, German-speaking Royal Prussia and Prussian cities were included. This achievement might well have been impossible without Sigismund. Sigismund died at his beloved Knyszyn on July 6, 1572, aged 52. In 1573, Henry III of Valois was elected as King of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth for a few months, but then returned to France where he was crowned as King Henry III of France. Shortly thereafter, Sigismund's sister Anna of Poland married Stefan Batory, and they ruled as King and Queen of Poland. Besides very close family connections, Sigismund II was especially allied to the Imperial Habsburgs by his pledge as member of the Order of the Golden Fleece.   *   *   *  TAX   FREE  *   *   *          NO  VAT  USA -  $3 uninsured at buyers risk, on buyers written request (orders up to $15.00 only!) -  $5 for orders up to $50.00 -  $6 for orders up to $100.00 -  $7 for orders up to $200.00 - add $1.00 per every $100.00 insured. 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