Shilling

The ducal coinage in West Pomerania did not develop until Duke Bogislaw X (1454-1523) became in 1478 the sole ruler of the whole West Pomerania, stretching from the Lębork Land in the east to the Bardzkie Duchy in the west, with a border on the Reknitz. The consolidation of the state required many reforms, including the monetary system, so that mint production could be expanded to include thicker denominations. The Duke acted against the exercise of monetary rights by the towns, which could only mint small coins, mainly denarii, according to their privileges. These actions met with resistance from Stralsund and Szczecin, the two largest cities in the duchy. Szczecin had to pay a fine of 400 Rhenish guilders to the Duke for not complying with the regulations in 1491. Bogislaw X's monetary reform envisaged the withdrawal of all previous coins and introduced a new currency unit, the shilling. Yearly dates appeared on them in 1489. The ducal mint was organised in Gardeniec (Gartz a. Oder), then two more mints were opened in Szczecin and Dąbie (Altdamm). The production of shillings was large, but from 1500 it was carried out only in Szczecin. On the iconographically uniform shillings, there is heraldic symbolism of the Pomeranian and Rugian Principalities. The griffin stood for both state and dynasty that took the name of the Griffins from this emblem. In the inscription appeared the name and royal titles of Duke Bogislaw. On the reverse of the shillings, the coat of arms of the Duchy of Rügen and the inscription informing that the new coin was minted in Dąbie in [14]92 were placed. The symbolism of the reverse indicates Bogislaw X's rights to the principality of Rügen after the ducal line, which expired in 1325. Despite hereditary agreements, the Pomeranian-Mecklenburg wars were fought over the Rugian succession in 1326-1354. In this situation, the Rügen coat of arms took on special significance as it emphasised the fact that the Duchy of Rügen belonged to the remaining Pomeranian lands.

Genowefa Horoszko