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Denier Bracteate - Mieszko III the Old Gniezno or Kalisz mint
| Issuer | Greater Poland, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1138-1202 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Kop#77 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As a bracteate, this coin is struck on a single thin flan producing only one-sided relief; the reverse presents a faint mirror-image incuse impression of the obverse design, showing the ghosted outlines of the two busts and central plant motif, with no independent design or inscription on this side. |
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| Mint | Gniezno or Kalisz mint |
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| Additional information |
Mieszko III earned his epithet "the Old" partly through sheer durability — expelled from the Kraków senior throne twice, he outlasted rivals and reclaimed power repeatedly across a reign fragmented by the brutal seniority principle established at Bolesław III's 1138 partition. These bracteates belong to that turbulent interval, struck thin enough that the image punches through to create a mirror impression on the reverse — a minting technique that dominated Polish coinage through much of the 12th century precisely because it required half the silver of a conventional two-sided penny.
Gniezno and Kalisz were the administrative heartland of his power base in Greater Poland.