Denier Bracteate - William I

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.