Denier Bracteate - Mieszko III the Old Gniezno or Kalisz mint

Mieszko III ruled Greater Poland twice — driven out in 1177 by a noble revolt that forced him into decades of intermittent exile before his restoration, a political instability that likely accounts for the attribution uncertainty between Gniezno and Kalisz. Bracteates of this type were struck on foil-thin flans by a single die pressed from below, a technique adopted in twelfth-century Poland partly because the silver content could be maximized at minimal weights. At 0.11 g, any surviving example with full strike and intact flan edges is a minor miracle of preservation.