Denier Bracteate - Berthold II

Berthold II served as abbot of Kempten during a period when the imperial abbey was consolidating its territorial rights in Swabia, operating under direct Hohenstaufen patronage. Bracteates of this type — thin single-sided flans struck by pressing a die through the silver so the image appears in relief on one side and intaglio on the other — were the dominant coinage technology in southern Germany precisely because their low silver content suited small regional transactions without requiring the fuller flan of a two-sided denier. At 0.40 grams, the margin for striking error was essentially zero.