Basel's episcopal mint operated under authority granted by the Holy Roman Emperor, and the bishops of this period were deeply enmeshed in the Investiture Controversy — the prolonged struggle between the papacy and the empire over who held the right to appoint church officials. Bishop Burkhard of Fenis, who held the see from 1072 to 1107, navigated shifting allegiances between Henry IV and the reformist faction throughout his tenure.
Coins from episcopal Rhine mints of this period are notorious for die-to-die inconsistency in weight and fabric, and Basel is no exception.
Basel's episcopal mint operated under authority granted by the Holy Roman Emperor, and the bishops of this period were deeply enmeshed in the Investiture Controversy — the prolonged struggle between the papacy and the empire over who held the right to appoint church officials. Bishop Burkhard of Fenis, who held the see from 1072 to 1107, navigated shifting allegiances between Henry IV and the reformist faction throughout his tenure.
Coins from episcopal Rhine mints of this period are notorious for die-to-die inconsistency in weight and fabric, and Basel is no exception.