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Denier - Boleslaus I the Brave unknown mint
| Issuer | Kingdom of Poland |
|---|---|
| Year | 992-1006 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Kop#5 |
| Obverse description | Central raised circle enclosing three letters arranged within the inner field. A retrograde Latin legend surrounds the central motif, reading RCLLELRVVS CVV (interpreted as Duke Boleslaus), rendered in the crude, irregular lettering characteristic of early Polish hammered coinage. The flan is irregular in shape with uneven edges typical of hand-struck medieval deniers. The overall die work reflects the primitive engraving style of late 10th- to early 11th-century Polish minting. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A plain cross is depicted at the center, enclosed within a raised inner circle, characteristic of the cross-in-circle type common to Ottonian-influenced early Polish coinage. A retrograde Latin legend reading VENCIEZLIVVS (interpreted as Wenceslas) encircles the central motif in the outer field. The lettering is crude and irregularly spaced, consistent with hammered deniers of this period. The flan exhibits the same irregular, hand-cut character as the obverse, with die wear and surface porosity typical of surviving specimens. |
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| Additional information |
Boleslaus I — Bolesław Chrobry — issued these deniers during the formative decades of the Polish state, barely a generation after the Piast dynasty's conversion to Christianity in 966. The coins drew heavily on Ottonian prototypes, reflecting both Poland's cultural orientation toward the Holy Roman Empire and Bolesław's calculated ambition to present himself as a legitimate Christian ruler. His coronation as the first King of Poland came only in 1025, at the very end of his life, meaning this issue circulated under a duke, not yet a king.
Attribution to a specific mint remains impossible. Gniezno and Poznań are the likeliest candidates, but no die evidence has settled the question.