Denier Bracteate - Mieszko III the Old Gniezno or Kalisz mint

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.