Catalog
Denier - Stephen I
| Issuer | Kingdom of Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 997-1038 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Denier (997-1310) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Reverse design mirrors the obverse in structure, featuring a long cross with a small crosslet at its head, dividing the field into four quarters each containing a lozenge or wedge-shaped ornament, enclosed within an inner beaded circle. The surrounding circular Latin legend reads +REGIA CIVITAS (Royal City, referring to Székesfehérvár), rendered in the crude, sometimes retrograde lettering characteristic of early Hungarian hammered coinage. Numerous die varieties are recorded, including retrograde legends, misspellings, and letter inversions. The entire composition is bounded by an outer beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Stephen I was crowned on Christmas Day 1000 AD — or possibly 1001, the sources disagree — following a papal bull from Sylvester II that granted him apostolic authority and, crucially, independence from the Holy Roman Empire's ecclesiastical structure. The denier he introduced was modeled closely on Bavarian prototypes, a practical acknowledgment of his Ottonian connections through his wife Gisela of Bavaria. Hungary had no prior coinage tradition to speak of; this issue invented one.
The multiple CAC and Huszár references reflect genuine die variety proliferation across a four-decade reign rather than cataloger redundancy.