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Denier - Adalbero II
| Issuer | Bishopric of Basel |
|---|---|
| Year | 999-1025 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.65 g |
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| Reverse description | Central field bears the mint name BASILEA arranged in two lines across the field, reading BAS-I / LEA, with the letters boldly rendered in a Romanesque lapidary style characteristic of Ottonian episcopal coinage. The irregular hammered flan results in portions of the legend being partially off-flan or weakly struck. The surrounding area shows a plain or lightly decorated border consistent with the simple peripheral treatment seen on contemporaneous Rhenish deniers. The overall die work reflects the hand-engraved artisanal quality typical of early 11th century ecclesiastical mints in the Upper Rhine region. |
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| Reverse lettering | BAS-I / LEA |
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| Additional information |
Adalbero II held the see of Basel from 999 until his death in 1025, operating under Ottonian imperial patronage at a moment when German bishops wielded coinage rights as instruments of regional economic control rather than mere ecclesiastical privilege. His mint at Basel sat at a critical crossing of Rhine trade routes, giving these small silver pieces genuine commercial utility beyond the diocese itself.
The HMZ 188 attribution places this squarely within the earliest documented Basel episcopal coinage.