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Denier Bracteate - Ottokar II medium
| Issuer | Kingdom of Bohemia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1260-1278 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 0.28 g |
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| Obverse description | Single-sided bracteate struck in thin silver sheet, featuring a stylized rose or lily blossom in the central field, rendered in low relief with three petals or sepals radiating from a rounded central boss. The floral motif is flanked by two symmetrical leaf or stem elements emerging from the base, giving the design a heraldic, plant-like character. The entire composition is enclosed within a plain raised inner border, itself set within a slightly irregular outer rim typical of hammered bracteate coinage. The design is characteristic of Bohemian bracteate production under Ottokar II, reflecting the refined yet simplified artistic conventions of mid-13th century Central European minting. |
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| Reverse description | As a bracteate, this coin was struck from a single die on a thin silver flan, producing a mirror-image incuse impression on the reverse corresponding to the obverse design. The reverse therefore exhibits the same floral or rosette motif in negative relief, with the central boss and radiating foliate elements visible in sunken form. The surface is plain and unadorned, with no legends, inscriptions, or additional design elements. The irregular, slightly wavy edge of the flan is consistent with hand-cut bracteate production of the Bohemian mint workshops of the 13th century. |
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| Additional information |
Ottokar II ruled Bohemia at the height of its medieval power, controlling territory stretching from Silesia to the Adriatic at his peak — earning him the epithet "King of Iron and Gold." These thin bracteate deniers were struck throughout his reign, but production effectively ended with his death at the Battle on the Marchfeld in August 1278, where his army was defeated by Rudolf of Habsburg in one of the most consequential engagements in Central European medieval history. Ottokar died on the field; Rudolf's victory transferred Austrian lands to the Habsburgs permanently.
Cach 820 is among the more frequently encountered of his bracteate types, though the fabric is unforgiving — the single-sided striking process makes full, uncracked flans genuinely difficult to find.