Catalog
Denier Bracteate - Anonymous Sword right, key left and down, moon left
| Issuer | Bishopric of Dorpat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1248-1346 |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As a bracteate, this coin is struck from a single die, producing an incuse mirror image on the reverse of the obverse design. The reverse shows the characteristic hollow, sunken relief impression of the sword, key, and crescent moon motifs visible on the obverse, with the surrounding pellet border also appearing in incuse form. No separate reverse design or legend is present. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Dorpat — a crusader state carved out of Livonian territory following the Northern Crusades — issued bracteates as its primary small denomination throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, operating largely independently of the Livonian Order despite sharing the same conquered geography. These thin, single-die struck pieces were never intended for long circulation; their fragility meant fresh stock was regularly reminted, which paradoxically left surviving examples in better condition than their robust contemporaries. Haljak II#463 sits in a contested attribution window, with some specialists placing the type closer to the 1280s based on die-link analysis with datable episcopal issues.