Denier Bracteate - Henry I

Henry I of Hessen ruled as the first Landgrave following the partition of Thuringia in 1263, a political settlement that carved out Hessen as an independent territory after decades of dynastic conflict over the Ludowingian inheritance. Bracteates of this type — struck on a single thin flan from one die — were the dominant small coinage of central German territories throughout the 13th century, their fragility making intact survivors genuinely scarce.

The Schütz I#111 reference places this piece within a well-documented but sparsely surviving series. Most examples show stress cracks from the striking process.