Catalog
Denier Bracteate - Anonymous Sword left, key right and down, star above
| Issuer | Bishopric of Dorpat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1248-1346 |
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| Currency | Denier (1224-1346) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniface bracteate; the reverse exhibits the incuse mirror impression of the obverse design, as is characteristic of all bracteate coinage produced by the single-die hammering technique. The thin silver flan shows the ghosted outline of the sword, key, and star motif in incuse relief, with no additional legends, devices, or intentional design elements present on this side. |
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| Mintage | ND (1248-1346) |
| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Dorpat — established in 1224 after the Livonian Crusade brought the region under ecclesiastical control — issued bracteates as part of the broader Baltic thin-flan coinage tradition that dominated the eastern Baltic throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. At 0.13g, these are among the most fragile surviving medieval coins from the region; the single-sided striking technique that defines the bracteate form means the dies had to be cut in reverse, and surviving examples with sharp detail are genuinely uncommon.