Rīgas monetārā vēsture Polijas-Lietuvas kundzības laikā (1581-1621)

ENIn 1581, the Polish–Lithuanian King Stephen Bathory acquired Riga, the Livonian metropolis and the last sovereign formation on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Riga became the centre of the administrative and commercial life of the Duchy of Livonia and the only issuer of money there. Based on written evidence about the Riga mint, the article examines the most important changes and developments in Riga’s monetary policy and economy reflecting its position and integration into the monetary system of Rzeczpospolita. In the monetary history of Riga, it was a time of great opportunities and trials, characterised by the influx of Riga shillings and 3 groschen in the Rzeczpospolita monetary market, as well as by differences in the production quality of Rzeczpospolita mints, rising silver prices, and the resumption of hostilities in the region in 1600. Key words: Riga, Rzeczpospolita, Duchy of Livonia, numismatics, Riga mint. [From the publication]