Bracteate Pfennig - Rudolf and Duke Meinhard II Friesach

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.