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Denier Bracteate - Mieszko III the Old Gniezno or Kalisz mint
| Issuer | Greater Poland, Duchy of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1138-1202 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Denier |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A lion passant to the left with head reverted, rendered in a bold, stylized Romanesque manner characteristic of 12th-century Polish bracteate coinage. The beast is depicted with exaggerated musculature, a beaded mane, and a curved tail arching over the body. The central device is enclosed within a beaded inner circle, itself surrounded by a border of pellets or a rope-like outer ring. The thin hammered flan exhibits the typical shallow single-sided relief of a bracteate, with the design showing through as an incuse impression on the reverse. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Mieszko III ruled Greater Poland twice — expelled by his own nobles in 1177, he spent decades clawing back power before dying in office in 1202, the last of the senior Piast line to hold Kraków. These bracteates were struck during a period when the fragmentation of Poland following Bolesław III's 1138 succession statute had reduced ducal minting to a purely regional affair, with Gniezno and Kalisz operating as the principal centers of Greater Polish coin production. At 0.15g, the fabric is exceptionally fragile; the high failure rate during striking is why so few undamaged examples survive.