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Denier Bracteate - Anonymous Sword right, key left and down, dot above
| Issuer | Bishopric of Dorpat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1248-1346 |
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| Currency | Denier (1224-1346) |
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| Obverse description | Uniface bracteate struck in thin silver, displaying in the central field a crossed sword and key arranged diagonally, with the sword pointing to the right and the key oriented to the lower left, forming a saltire-like composition. A single pellet appears above the crossing point of the two emblems, serving as a distinguishing mark. The entire device is contained within a border of large raised pellets encircling the full perimeter of the flan. The design is rendered in the characteristic flat, incuse relief of bracteate coinage, with the reverse showing a mirror-image impression of the obverse motifs. No legend or inscription is present, identifying this as an anonymous issue of the Bishopric of Dorpat. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniface bracteate; the reverse presents a shallow incuse mirror impression of the obverse design, as is typical of single-die hammered bracteate coinage. The faint relief of the crossed sword and key, along with the pellet border, is visible in negative on the reverse surface. No additional devices, legends, or mint marks are present on this side. |
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| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Dorpat — established in 1224 following the Northern Crusades and the forcible conversion of the Estonian and Livonian tribes — issued bracteate deniers as its primary small coinage throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. These thin, single-sided pieces were struck on blanks so fragile that double-striking and off-center examples are endemic to the type. Haljak's classification separates the Dorpat bracteates by symbol combinations, with the sword and key pairing reflecting the dual episcopal authority — temporal and spiritual — claimed by the bishop-princes of this frontier diocese.