Counterfeits of Riga Coins in the 16th–17th Centuries

The exhibition “Counterfeits of Riga Coins in the 16th–17th Centuries” provides an opportunity to get to know the special aspects of the history of money, also provides an insight in the daily life of Riga and rigans under the influence of various powers. The exhibition can be viewed in the museum permanent exhibition hall “Riga history. Riga as part of Livonia”. 13.-16. cent.”.

Coin counterfeiting is as old as coinage. Counterfeiting coins in circulation was and is a serious offence. In Riga, until the 17th century, the punishment for counterfeiting money was cutting off the hand, in Western Europe coin counterfeiters were even sentenced to death. As the importance of coins in monetary circulation decreased, the penalties for coin forgeries became less severe.

Exhibited at the exhibition are Riga coin forgeries from the collection of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. Counterfeit coins chronologically cover the period from the 1580s, starting with the first Polish-Lithuanian coin counterfeits, to the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the Northern War. This period includes the reign of the Poland-Lithuania rulers – Stephen Báthory, Sigismund III Vasa, as well as that of the Swedish rulers – Gustav II Adolf, Christina, Charles X Gustav and Charles XI.

The coin collection of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation includes both local mints as well as coin forgeries from Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik, Croatia) and Suceava (modern Romania). Forgeries of smaller denomination coins were more typical in Riga. Counterfeiting large denominations, such as thalers, was labour-intensive and unprofitable for the forger. Mass counterfeiting of Riga and Livonian shillings can be explained by their wide use in trade. They were also in circulation in the present territory of Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania.

How money users then and how numismatic specialists today can determine which of the ancient coins are genuine and which are counterfeit? Explains the authors of the exhibition, Inita Dzelme, head of the museum’s Numismatics and Precious Metals Department and Justīne Fišere, collection specialist: “Counterfeit coins can be detected by several features, such as the weight of the coin, the composition of the precious metal and visual defects: illegible or mechanically damaged coin legends, imprecisely executed coats of arms, portraits and symbols, dating errors, simplified execution of complex details.”

The exhibition can be viewed until September 30, 2024, by purchasing Museum’s permanent exhibition ticket.

Additional information: Communications Department, phone: +371 67356676.