Catalog
Denier - Béla II
| Issuer | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 1131-1141 |
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| Value | Denier (Denár) (1) |
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| Obverse description | Facing royal bust depicted in a highly stylized, archaic manner, showing a frontal face with schematic features set within a decorative surround. Two fleur-de-lis or lily motifs flank the head on either side, rendered in a bold, angular style characteristic of early Hungarian hammered coinage. The portrait is enclosed by a beaded or linear border, with the abbreviated legend distributed in the field around the effigy. The overall design reflects the Romanesque artistic tradition prevalent in mid-12th century Hungarian numismatics. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Béla II's reign was defined almost entirely by the political chaos surrounding his accession. Blinded as a child on orders of King Stephen II — who feared him as a dynastic rival — Béla ruled despite his disability, relying heavily on his wife Ilona of Raška and her Serbian connections to consolidate power. His deniers are among the thinnest and lightest struck under the Árpád dynasty, a reflection of ongoing debasement that had been accelerating since the late eleventh century rather than any decision specific to his treasury.