Catalog
½ Groschen - Bolko I
| Issuer | Duchy of Schweidnitz (Silesia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1281-1519 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | A ornate knight's tournament helmet in profile, surmounted by an elaborate crest of peacock feathers and palm fronds, rendered in the Gothic heraldic tradition. The helmet and crest fill the central field, flanked by decorative foliate elements. The surrounding legend in Gothic uncial characters reads +GALEA DVCIS BOLKONIS (the helmet of Duke Bolko), enclosed within a beaded border. The overall composition is typical of Silesian ducal bracteate-derived coinage of the late 13th to early 14th century. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Bolko I ruled Schweidnitz from 1278 until his death in 1301, consolidating a fragmented Piast inheritance into one of the more stable Silesian duchies of the period. His minting activity reflects deliberate economic policy — Schweidnitz sat on key trade routes connecting Bohemia to the Polish interior, and a reliable local coinage was not incidental to that position.
The date range on this type spans well beyond Bolko I himself, indicating successive rulers continued striking to the same standard under his name or his established type — a common Silesian practice that complicates precise attribution to reign.