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1 Lübische 'Dorpat-pfennig' - Johannes I Viffhusen
| Issuer | Bishopric of Dorpat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1346-1373 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central device consisting of a sword and an episcopal key crossed diagonally in saltire, emblematic of the temporal and spiritual authority of the Bishopric of Dorpat. The two instruments are rendered in low relief in a bold, simplified Gothic style characteristic of Baltic bracteate coinage of the mid-14th century. The entire design is encircled by a prominent ring of raised pellets forming a beaded border. The field is plain and uninscribed, with no legend present. The flan is thin and irregular, consistent with hammered bracteate production. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (1346-1373) |
| Additional information |
Johannes I Viffhusen held the see of Dorpat — modern Tartu in Estonia — through the mid-fourteenth century, a period when the Livonian Order and the German merchant class were the real powers in the region, with ecclesiastical authority perpetually squeezed between them. The Lübische Pfennig standard adopted here reflects Dorpat's commercial orbit around the Hanseatic network rather than any local monetary tradition; the city's bishop was minting to trade, not to assert territorial dominion.
At 0.13 g, these are among the lightest silver issues produced under the Lübeck standard, and survival in any condition is genuinely uncommon.