Catalog
Denier - Boleslaus I the Brave unknown mint
| Issuer | Kingdom of Poland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1000-1025 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Denier |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A bold cross pattée occupies the central field, with a pellet or annulet placed in each of the four angles formed by the arms of the cross, a design element derived from contemporary Carolingian and Ottonian denier prototypes. The surrounding legend carries the epithet INCLITVS, meaning 'the Illustrious' or 'the Glorious,' applied as an honorific to Duke Boleslaus I. The lettering is distributed in crude, irregular Latin capitals around the periphery of the irregularly shaped flan. The reverse composition is simple yet emblematic of early medieval Christian royal coinage in the Piast realm. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Bolesław I's deniers are among the earliest Polish coinage, issued in the decades following his meeting with Emperor Otto III at Gniezno in 1000 — the event that effectively secured ecclesiastical and political legitimacy for the nascent Polish state. Whether that congress directly prompted the minting program is debated, but the chronological coincidence is hard to dismiss. The mint location remains unresolved; Poznań, Gniezno, and Kraków have all been proposed without definitive archaeological confirmation.
Kop. 20 pieces are notoriously irregular in flan preparation, reflecting early Polish minting technique rather than wear.