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Denier Bracteate - Mieszko III the Old Gniezno mint
| Issuer | Duchy of Greater Poland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1138-1202 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Frontal effigy of a crowned ruler, depicted from the waist upward in Romanesque style, holding a sceptre or lance in the right hand and what appears to be a palm branch or similar attribute in the left. The figure is rendered in high relief characteristic of bracteate technique, with stylized drapery and pellet ornaments flanking the central image. The entire design is enclosed within a plain inner circle, surrounded by a Latin legend along the outer border, partially legible due to the irregular flan and edge chipping. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | MISICO DVX |
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| Additional information |
Mieszko III ruled Greater Poland twice — expelled by his own nobles in 1177, he clawed back power repeatedly over the following decades, making the precise attribution of his bracteate issues to specific sub-periods genuinely difficult. Gniezno, as the ecclesiastical capital of the Polish church and the site of the first Polish coronation in 1025, was a natural minting seat for a duke constantly needing to assert dynastic legitimacy against rival Piast claimants.
At 0.14 g, these pieces were struck on foil-thin flans, and the bracteate technique itself — a single-sided impression — was adopted across northern-central Europe during the 12th century partly because it demanded less silver per coin.