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Bracteate Pfennig - Rudolf and Duke Meinhard II Friesach
| Issuer | Archbishopric of Salzburg (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1300-1340 |
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| Currency | Pfennig (800-1500) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bracteate type struck on a thin, irregularly shaped silver flan. The central device depicts a stylized heraldic motif described as a clasp or fibula with leaf-like terminal ends, rendered in high relief characteristic of the bracteate technique. The design is executed in a schematic, late-medieval style with minimal supplementary ornament and no legend in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Incuse mirror-image impression of the obverse, as is standard for bracteate coinage struck on a single die. The reverse shows the characteristic concave relief of the eagle motif — a heraldic eagle rendered in a schematic, angular style typical of late-medieval Austrian bracteate pfennigs from the Friesach mint. The flan edges are irregular, consistent with hand-cut hammered production of the period. |
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| Additional information |
Friesach was one of the most important minting centers in the medieval German-speaking world, and the pfennigs struck there circulated so widely across Central Europe that "Friesacher Pfennig" became a generic term for quality silver coinage in regional trade contracts well into the 13th century. By the time this bracteate was issued, that dominance was already fading — the rise of the grosso and heavier denomination silver had begun displacing the thin single-sided pfennig across alpine trade routes. The joint attribution to Archbishop Rudolf and Duke Meinhard II of Carinthia reflects the complex overlapping jurisdictions that characterized Salzburg's monetary authority during this period.