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1 Obol - Ioan Iacob Heraclid
| Issuer | Moldavia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1562-1563 |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Reverse description | Central device depicting the auroch's head facing forward, the traditional heraldic symbol of Moldavia, with a five-pointed star between the horns. A rose with five petals appears to the right of the auroch's head, and a crescent moon to the left, completing the customary Moldavian heraldic composition. The surrounding Latin legend names the issuing voivode Ioan and records the date 1562. The design is struck in typical hammered fashion with irregular flan edges and variable relief. |
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| Reverse lettering | IOHAИИ*D*G*WAIVOD*1562 (Translation: By the grace of God voivode Ioan 1562) |
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| Additional information |
Ioan Iacob Heraclid — known as Despot Vodă — was a Greek adventurer of disputed noble origin who seized the Moldavian throne in 1561 with Habsburg and Protestant backing, then set about transforming the principality along Western humanist lines, founding a Latin academy at Cotnari. His reign lasted barely two years. In late 1563 a boyar revolt led by Ștefan Tomșa cornered him in Suceava; he was killed in November of that year, making this obol among the most short-lived issues in Moldavian numismatic history.