Denier Bracteate - Ottokar II large

Ottokar II came to the Bohemian throne in 1253 and immediately pursued an aggressive expansion policy that would eventually make him one of the most powerful rulers in Central Europe. These bracteates — struck on thin, single-die flans that impress through to the reverse as a mirror image — were produced during the early years of his reign before his territorial ambitions brought him into direct conflict with the Habsburgs. Cach 764 is the larger module of his bracteate issues, distinguishing it from the smaller denier type struck concurrently.