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Denier - Béla IV
| Issuer | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 1235-1270 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the legend BELA REX arranged around a central motif, struck in the characteristic crude hammered style of 13th-century Hungarian brachteate-influenced deniers. The inscription, reading 'King Béla', is disposed in segments across the flan, with individual letter groups separated by decorative elements. The lettering includes characters identified as a combination of Latin and Hebrew script, a distinctive feature of coinage struck under Jewish mint masters active in medieval Hungary. The overall design is executed with irregular striking typical of the period, with letters and ornamental devices distributed across the flat field within a plain border. |
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| Mintage | ND (1235-1270) - - ND (1235-1270) - mule rev.: arches on a pillar, two king`s head facing each other under, cross in shield between two stars above (H#312; EK#18/46) - |
| Additional information |
Béla IV's reign was defined almost entirely by the Mongol invasion of 1241–42, which devastated Hungary so thoroughly that contemporaries estimated up to half the population perished. The destruction of minting infrastructure forced significant disruptions to coinage production, and deniers attributable to the early versus late portions of his reign are notoriously difficult to assign with precision — a problem reflected in the multiple overlapping references cataloging this type.
After the Mongol withdrawal, Béla rebuilt the kingdom aggressively, founding new fortified towns and reorganizing the royal treasury. The denier series of this period supported that reconstruction economy.