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Denier Bracteate - Ottokar I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Bohemia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1210-1230 |
| 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 |
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| Obverse description | Uniface bracteate displaying a frontal standing figure, likely a royal or saintly effigy, rendered in low relief characteristic of Bohemian bracteate coinage of the early 13th century. The figure is depicted with stylized facial features, arms extended to either side, and flanked by symbolic objects that may represent scepters or floral ornaments. The central motif is enclosed within a plain inner border, surrounded by a broad flat rim with a secondary beaded or rope-like circular border. The overall artistic treatment is typical of the Romanesque die-cutting tradition employed in the Bohemian minting ateliers under Ottokar I. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniface coin; the reverse is blank, as is characteristic of bracteate coinage, which is struck from a single die on a thin flan of silver, leaving the reverse as an incuse mirror image of the obverse design with no independent design or inscription. |
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| Additional information |
Ottokar I secured the hereditary kingship of Bohemia through the Golden Bull of Sicily in 1212, issued by Frederick II in exchange for Bohemian support during his contest for the imperial throne. The bracteate coinage that followed reflects this consolidation of royal authority — thin single-sided silver issues of this type were the dominant currency of the Bohemian lands throughout the early thirteenth century, struck at a time when the kingdom was asserting itself as a stable dynastic power within the empire.
Fiala's classification remains the primary reference for this series, though attribution of individual dies within the XXI group is complicated by the survival of multiple working dies producing subtly distinct impressions.