Medieval Poland 3 Groschen (Stefan Batory) 1581 to 1586

This is a 3 groschen (grossus) coin from early Poland (including Hungary and Lithuania) with a crowned bust of Stephan Bathory (Stefan Batory, or Steponas Batoras in Lithuanian), king of Poland between 1576 and 1586. The inscription on the king's side reads STEP for Steponas, D G for 'by the Grace of God,' and REX for king. The ARG TRIP CIVI RIGE indicates the city of Riga (now Latvia), and the imagery of a city gate with a lion's head, crossed keys above, and a cross above is Riga's coat of arms.

As always, catalog values vary with condition and overall appeal of the coin. Here are some approximate catalog values:

worn: $50 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $250

If you have one of these for sale, a dealer would probably pay about half catalog price. That is the kind of margin you need as a coin dealer to keep your business afloat.

Our secondary pictures show modern pieces reminiscent of this old Polish coin. The medal issued with Stefan Batory's image commemorates a Polish ocean vessel named in his honor. The second is a hockey medallion with Riga's arms. Nice!

CoinQuest thanks renowned numismatist Charles Calkins for his help with this coin. If you have not yet visited Charle's web site, it is worth looking at. The coin photos and in-depth info are amazing. [Click Here to visit].
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