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| Issuer | Hessen, Landgraviate of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1483-1493 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Guldengroschen |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | L W D E Z C` |
| Reverse description | Plain concave field, as is typical of bracteate coinage, showing the incuse mirror impression of the obverse design pressed through the thin silver flan during striking. |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
William I ruled Hessen through a period of continuous dynastic friction, spending much of his reign managing the fallout from the division of Hessian lands and negotiating with the Holy Roman Emperor. These thin, single-sided bracteates were already an archaic minting choice by the 1480s — much of the German monetary world had moved on to thicker, double-sided pfennigs — but smaller territories often clung to regional bracteate traditions well past their broader obsolescence. Hessen was no exception.
At 0.39g, these pieces were struck on foil-thin flans prone to cracking at the edges, which makes intact examples genuinely difficult to source.