Catalog
Denarius - Henry II
| Issuer | Bavaria, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 995-1002 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.23 g |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a bold cross pattée with a pellet at the centre and pellets in each angle, enclosed within a plain inner circle. The surrounding legend reads ∴ HЄINRVCV∾ DVX in Latin majuscule characters, identifying Henry II as Duke. The flan is irregular and slightly ragged at the periphery, characteristic of hand-hammered Ottonian coinage. The overall design is struck in low relief with a somewhat rustic die-cutting style typical of late tenth-century Regensburg mint production. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a stylised architectural or ecclesiastical motif consisting of a prominent triangular gable or roof-form at the top of the field, beneath which appear multiple horizontal bars arranged in register, evoking a schematic church façade or reliquary shrine associated with Saint Rupert. The surrounding legend SCS RVODVPTVS XIXI, invoking Sanctus Ruodbertus (Saint Rupert, patron saint of Salzburg and Bavaria), is rendered in Latin majuscules around the periphery. Pellets and small crosses serve as word dividers within the legend. The irregular flan and variable strike depth are consistent with the hammered technique employed at the Regensburg mint during the reign of Duke Henry II. |
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| Additional information |
Henry II of Bavaria became Duke in 995 and spent much of his tenure maneuvering against his cousin Otto III for influence over the empire, ultimately succeeding him as King of Germany in 1002. The coinage struck under his ducal authority reflects this transitional moment — Bavaria was asserting itself as a political center, not merely a territorial administration. Hahn Radas 87b is a recognized die variety within a series where attribution between ducal and episcopal issues has historically been contested among German medieval numismatists.