Denier Bracteate - Henry VI Ulm

Henry VI's reign over the imperial mints was complicated by his near-constant military campaigning — the conquest of Sicily in 1194 and the captivity of Richard I of England consumed enormous political and financial energy. Ulm, as an imperial city on the Danube, struck these thin silver bracteates under direct imperial authority rather than episcopal or baronial oversight, which distinguishes this issue from the majority of contemporary German bracteate production.

At 0.40 g, the fabric is exceptionally fragile — bracteates of this weight class survive intact at a fraction the rate of conventional struck coinage.