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1 Pfennig - Bernd von der Borch Riga
| Issuer | Livonian Order |
|---|---|
| Year | 1471-1483 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 0.5 mm |
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| Obverse description | A heraldic bird, representing the arms of Riga, depicted within a shield occupying the central field. The shield is rendered in a crude, hand-engraved style typical of late medieval Livonian bracteate-influenced coinage. A peripheral legend in uncial Latin characters encircles the central device. The overall execution is characteristic of hammered billon pfennigs of the Livonian Order period, with irregular flan and flat relief. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | RIGENSIS (Translation: Rigensis Riga) |
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| Additional information |
Bernd von der Borch served as Master of the Livonian Order from 1471 to 1483, a tenure defined by aggressive territorial conflict with the Archbishop of Riga — a prolonged power struggle over control of the city that periodically turned violent. These small billon pfennigs were struck to fund and sustain Order operations during that friction, circulating through a Baltic commercial zone where Hanseatic trade made even the most debased small coinage functionally necessary.
At 0.35g, the silver content is negligible. Haljak's cataloguing of this type within the second volume reflects how late these Livonian minor coins were systematically documented.