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During routine maintenance at the war cemetery in Kamień Pomorski, archaeologists unearthed a rare Renaissance silver coin featuring Albrecht Hohenzollern. The trojak (3 grosze) from the mint in Königsberg showcases the bust of Albrecht Hohenzollern, the last Grand Master of the Order of the Hospital of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem (1511-1525). After pledging allegiance to King Zygmunt Stary of Poland on April 10, 1525, in Krakow, he became the ruler of the Prussian Duchy until his death in 1568.
According to archaeologist Grzegorz Kurka, director of the Museum of the History of the Kamień Land, this discovery is exceptionally rare in northern West Pomerania. The coin was likely lost in the 16th century, possibly by a resident or visitor, as indicated by its location along the road from Kamień to Szczecin.
The museum is awaiting approval from the West Pomeranian Provincial Conservator of Monuments regarding the coin’s destination. Conservation work will precede its likely display in an exhibition during spring or summer.
Albrecht Hohenzollern, a nephew of King Zygmunt Stary, established a university in Königsberg in 1544, and in the same year as the coin’s origin, he founded a scholarship for the Polish poet Jan Kochanowski. Despite destruction during World War II, part of his tomb monument from 1572 survives in Königsberg.