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Denier - Béla II
| Issuer | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 1131-1141 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Denier (Denár) (1) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A large cross occupies the central field, its arms extending toward the rim. Between the arms of the cross, four large concave crescents are arranged symmetrically, each enclosing a single dot within its arc. The design is bold and geometric, consistent with the Romanesque-era Hungarian hammered coinage tradition. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A cross is depicted within a plain inner circle, with four dots positioned in the angles between the cross arms. Between the inner circle and the outer border, radiating lines fill the annular zone, creating a structured, decorative frame around the central motif. |
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| Additional information |
Béla II, known as "the Blind," owed his reign entirely to a political catastrophe: as a child, he and his father Álmos had been seized on orders of King Kálmán, who had both of them blinded and Álmos castrated to eliminate the dynastic rival. Béla survived, was sheltered by the church, and eventually took the throne in 1131 — the very year this issue begins. His queen, Helena of Raška, effectively governed during the early years, and it was she who orchestrated the massacre of some 68 magnates at the Diet of Arad, held responsible for the mutilations.
The multiple H references reflect ongoing scholarly disagreement over die groupings within the type.