by Ursula Kampmann
translated by Annika Backe
November 9, 2017 – Have you ever been to Warsaw? If so, you have certainly visited the town square. You probably had a sweet cake in one of the charming cafés and had no idea that not even 20 meters away the Polish Numismatic Society is located. The offices right in the city center, you can stock up on Polish numismatic literature there, for example, since the association of Polish coin enthusiasts ranks among the country’s most important numismatic publishers.
Marek Folwarniak, Monety i medale Karola Ferdynanda Wazy. Polskie Towarzystwo Numizmatyczne, Warsaw 2017. 84 pages with color illustrations, paperback, 16.5 x 24 cm. ISBN: 978-83-945110-2-9. 30 zloty (ca. 7 euros) + postage.
In 2017, their releases included a catalogue of the coins and medals of Charles Ferdinand Vasa, son of Sigismund III Vasa, who – contrary to three of his brothers – did not become King of Poland. It’s not like he didn’t try. In 1648, he ran against his brother John Casimir, who got much more support than the Catholic “hardliner” Charles Ferdinand because of his more liberal attitude in terms of religion. So, Charles Ferdinand confined himself to his Principality of Breslau and the Duchy of Neisse. Additionally, he held the office of Duke in Oppeln and Ratibor.
The little book authored by Marek Folwarniak for the Polish Numismatic Society registers 88 coins and medals issued in his name. Many of these are illustrated, thus enabling anyone not fluent in Polish to access this catalogue. After all, numismatists are often said to prefer looking at pictures over reading texts…
But to all coin enthusiasts who – despite all evil rumors – like to read a little bit, the little book offers not just the Polish text, but also a summary both in English and in German.
To learn more about the book, click here.
To order a copy for 30 zloty plus postage, send an e-mail to this address. By the way, according to the current exchange rate, 30 zloty is equal to about 7 euros.