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Denier - Géza II
| Issuer | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 1141-1162 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | ÉH#55, H#136, H#137, EK I#12/25 |
| Obverse description | Frontal bust of the king rendered in a Byzantine-influenced style, depicted with a nimbus or crown and wearing ornate robes with beaded decorations along the neckline and chest. A cross rises to the left of the figure and a branch or sceptre appears to the right, both flanking the effigy symmetrically within the field. The lower portion of the design features pendant lappets or decorative hanging elements characteristic of Hungarian royal deniers of the 12th century. The overall composition is executed in a crude but stylized hammered technique, with the figure occupying the majority of the coin's surface. No legible inscription is present. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a incuse mirror image of the obverse design, being a negative impression of the obverse die as was customary for certain Hungarian bracteate-style or double-struck deniers of this period. The frontal royal bust, flanking cross, and branch elements are visible in relief inversion, with the pendant lower garment details and beaded ornamental borders discernible. The strike quality is typical of mid-12th-century Hungarian hammered coinage, resulting in an irregular fabric with softly defined contours. No legend or inscription appears on the reverse. |
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| Additional information |
Géza II's reign saw Hungary deeply entangled in the dynastic wars of the Holy Roman Empire, with the king backing Henry the Lion against Conrad III while simultaneously managing pressure from Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, who invaded Hungary multiple times between 1149 and 1155. Coinage under Géza was struck in the royal mint at Esztergom, and the extreme reduction in fabric — already pronounced under his predecessors — reflects both silver scarcity and deliberate policy to stretch bullion across higher issue volumes during sustained military expenditure.