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Denier Bracteate - John I
| Issuer | Abbey of Hersfeld |
|---|---|
| Year | 1200-1214 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Bonh#1303 |
| Obverse description | Enthroned frontal figure of Abbot John I depicted in full pontifical vestments, wearing a mitre and holding a processional cross-staff in his right hand and a crozier in his left. To the left of the abbot stands a small animal figure, likely a lion or dog, and to the right a chalice or liturgical vessel, both serving as heraldic or symbolic attributes. The figure is rendered in the flat, single-relief style characteristic of German bracteate coinage of the early 13th century. A circular beaded inner border frames the composition, with a Latin legend running along the outer circumference of the thin flan. The overall design reflects the Romanesque artistic tradition prevalent in ecclesiastical minting of the Hersfeld Abbey. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Hersfeld Abbey, founded by Lullus of Mainz in the eighth century, held imperial abbey status and the right to strike coin intermittently through the medieval period. John I's abbacy coincided with a moment of intense political fragmentation in the German lands, as the Staufen-Welf succession crisis left imperial oversight of ecclesiastical minting effectively suspended. Bracteate production at minor abbeys expanded precisely into that vacuum.
At 0.80g, this falls toward the lighter end of Thuringian bracteate output, consistent with regional weight reduction trends after 1200.