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Denier Bracteate - Leszek of Masovia Płock mint
| Issuer | Duchy of Masovia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1173-1186 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central design featuring a frontal crowned princely head, the crown rendered with pellets and trefoil-like ornaments above a double-barred diadem. Below the crown, a stylized bearded face is depicted in full frontal view with large round eyes and a prominent mustache, flanked on either side by small circular elements in the field. The overall composition is characteristic of Piast-period Mazovian bracteate coinage, executed in a bold, archaic Romanesque style with high relief pressing through the thin flan. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As a true bracteate struck from a single die on a thin silver flan, the reverse presents the incuse mirror image of the obverse design. The crowned head and facial features appear in negative relief, with the flan showing characteristic stress fractures and irregular edges typical of 12th-century Polish bracteate production. The surface retains the natural distortion inherent to the hammered bracteate technique. |
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| Additional information |
Leszek of Masovia ruled a divided Polish duchy during the period of fragmentation that followed the 1138 testament of Bolesław III Krzywousty, which deliberately split the Piast lands among his sons and set off generations of internecine conflict. The Płock mint served as the primary monetary authority for Masovia throughout this period, and bracteates of this type — struck on a single thin flan from one die — reflect the broader Central European shift away from the heavier denier toward a more economical, regionally distinct coinage.
At 0.20 g, these were among the lightest currency in circulation anywhere in twelfth-century Europe.