Catalog
Denier Bracteate - Anonymous Sword left, key right and up
| Issuer | Bishopric of Dorpat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1248-1346 |
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| Value | 1 Hohlpfennig |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Uniface bracteate struck in thin silver. Central field features a crossed sword and key arranged diagonally, with the sword pointing to the left and the key oriented to the upper right, forming a saltire-like composition. The devices are rendered in low relief in a bold, archaic style characteristic of medieval Baltic ecclesiastical coinage. The design is encircled by a ring of pellets, the border partially irregular due to the uneven flan. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Dorpat, established in 1224 following the Northern Crusades, operated as a semi-independent ecclesiastical state wedged between the Livonian Order and competing Baltic powers for most of its existence. Bracteates of this type — thin, single-sided strikes — were the dominant small-denomination coinage of the Baltic region through the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, their fragility making survivors in any decent condition genuinely scarce. The nearly century-long attribution window reflects how little the type changed across successive bishops.