Denier Bracteate - Adolphus III

Adolphus III of Schauenburg issued these thin, single-sided bracteates during a period when he was actively consolidating Holstein territories while simultaneously navigating the political fallout from Henry the Lion's exile and the subsequent scramble among north German lords for influence. The bracteate format, dominant in northern Germany through the 12th century, required dies of exceptional precision — at 0.40g, any misalignment punched straight through.

Berger 133 is among the scarcer attributed types from this county, with surviving examples frequently showing the characteristic ghosting on the reverse face from die pressure through the thin flan.