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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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| Value | 1 Denier |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Single-sided bracteate struck from a single die on a thin silver flan, displaying a frontal bust of Duke Mieszko III the Old, crowned with a beaded crown, wearing a draped mantle. The figure holds a sceptre or staff diagonally across the body in the right hand, while a shield or banner appears to the left. The central device is enclosed within a beaded inner circle, with remnants of the Latin legend MEZICO distributed around the periphery of the field. The overall style is characteristic of Romanesque Piast bracteate coinage, with bold relief and schematic rendering of the princely effigy. |
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| Mint | Gniezno or Kalisz |
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| Additional information |
Mieszko III ruled intermittently — expelled from Kraków twice, he clung to Greater Poland as his base of power through decades of Piast dynastic infighting. These thin, single-sided bracteates were introduced into Polish territories as part of broader monetary changes following the fragmentation of the realm under Bolesław III's 1138 testament, which divided Poland among his sons and ended any pretense of unified coinage policy. Attribution between Gniezno and Kalisz remains unresolved; both operated as active minting centers under Mieszko's authority, and die evidence has not conclusively settled the question.