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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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| Obverse description | Central figure of a standing ruler or bishop rendered in a schematic, early medieval style, depicted frontally with arms extended and holding what appear to be regalia or a sceptre. The effigy is flanked by abbreviated Latin lettering distributed across the field. A beaded or dotted inner border encircles the central device, consistent with Polish Piast-era bracteate coinage of the late 12th century. The overall design is characteristic of the thin, one-sided hammered technique, resulting in a shallow but distinct relief. The execution reflects the provincial workshop style associated with the Gniezno or Kalisz mints under Mieszko III the Old. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As a bracteate, this coin is uniface; the reverse displays only the incuse mirror impression of the obverse design, with no independent design or inscription. The thin silver flan shows the characteristic depression corresponding to the obverse relief, typical of bracteate coinage produced in Poland during the 12th century. |
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| Additional information |
Mieszko III earned the epithet "the Old" partly through sheer persistence — he was expelled from the senior principality no fewer than three times, yet kept reclaiming Kraków. His coinage from Greater Poland reflects this fractured political reality: bracteates were cheap to produce, requiring a single die rather than two, making them practical instruments for a ruler whose hold on resources was intermittent at best.
Kopicki 131 is attributed to either Gniezno or Kalisz, and the ambiguity is genuine — die analysis has not resolved the question definitively. Gniezno retained ecclesiastical prestige as the archiepiscopal seat; Kalisz was among the oldest documented settlements in Polish territory, mentioned by Ptolemy.