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Denier Bracteate 'Moritzpfennig' - Rudbrecht of Querfurt
| Issuer | Archbishopric of Magdeburg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1260-1266 |
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| Value | 1 Denier |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Full-length frontal figure of Saint Maurice as a warrior saint, clad in scaled or lamellar armour, standing on a low platform or base. The saint raises his right hand holding a vexillum (banner standard) with a crosshatched pennant, while to his left stands a large kite-shaped shield bearing a central boss. A small architectural element or lantern appears at lower left, possibly representing a church or tower. The nimbus behind the head identifies the figure as a saint. The design is executed in high relief characteristic of the bracteate technique, with fine linear detailing on the armour and shield. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As a bracteate, the reverse displays the same composition as the obverse in incuse (sunken) relief — the full-length armed figure of Saint Maurice with vexillum, shield, and architectural element rendered in mirror image and recessed into the thin silver flan. The incuse impression is inherent to the single-die bracteate striking technique. The surface shows typical hammered flan characteristics with slightly irregular edges. |
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| Additional information |
Rudbrecht of Querfurt served as Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1261 to 1266, a tenure defined largely by his conflicts with the Ascanian margraves over territorial jurisdiction in the Saxon-Anhalt region. The bracteate penny — thin enough to show the design in reverse relief on the back — was the dominant small-denomination coinage of central German ecclesiastical mints throughout the thirteenth century, and Magdeburg was among its most prolific producers.
The "Moritzpfennig" designation derives from Saint Maurice, patron of Magdeburg Cathedral, whose veneration was central to the archbishopric's identity dating back to Otto I's foundation of the see in 968.