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2 Mites - William II of Sombreffe
| Issuer | Lordship of Reckem |
|---|---|
| Year | 1400-1475 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.5 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (uncial) |
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| Reverse description | Central design featuring three or four stylised fleurs-de-lis or similar Gothic foliate motifs arranged in a lozenge or quatrefoil pattern within the field, struck on an irregularly shaped flan characteristic of hammered billon coinage. The relief is worn and softly defined, reflecting the small module and low silver content of this provincial issue. The field shows the typical granular surface of a debased billon alloy. No clear legend is visible on the reverse. |
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| Additional information |
The Lordship of Reckem was a minor feudal holding in the southern Low Countries, and its coinage reflects the chronic fragmentation of minting rights that characterized the region throughout the fifteenth century. Small billon pieces like this circulated alongside dozens of similarly sized issues from neighboring lordships, creating a monetary environment that contemporary merchants navigated largely by weight and metal content rather than issuer identity.
William II of Sombreffe held the lordship during a period when counterfeit and debased small change was rampant enough that ducal authorities in Brabant and Hainaut repeatedly issued ordinances attempting to suppress it.