Denier Bracteate - Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion ruled Brunswick and Lüneburg as one of the most powerful princes in the Holy Roman Empire until his catastrophic falling-out with Frederick Barbarossa led to his trial and exile in 1180. The confiscation of his Saxon and Bavarian duchies truncated his minting authority sharply, making issues from the post-1180 period considerably scarcer than those of his peak years.

Bracteates of this type were struck on thin, single-sided flans — a minting convention that spread across northern Germany in the twelfth century partly because it allowed a larger design field from less silver. The wafer-thin fabric makes surviving examples highly susceptible to cracks along the edges.