Denier Bracteate - Henry VI of Swinrode

Hersfeld Abbey's bracteate issues of the late thirteenth century were produced under the peculiar ecclesiastical minting rights the abbey had held since the Ottonian period, rights that were increasingly contested by rival secular lords as imperial authority fragmented. Henry VI of Swinrode served as abbot during a period of chronic financial pressure on the house, and the thin, single-sided fabric of this denier bracteate reflects not just regional convention but genuine economy of silver. Berger 1269 is among the scarcer documented attributions in this series.