Catalog
Heller
| Issuer | City of Liegnitz (Silesia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1400-1500 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Groschen |
| 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 |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Heraldic Silesian eagle displayed prominently in the central field, shown facing with wings spread and head turned to the viewer's left. The eagle's plumage is rendered with incised feather lines on the wings and breast, typical of the Gothic heraldic style of the region in the 15th century. A small trefoil or floral ornament is visible above the eagle's head. The flan edges are irregular and ragged, consistent with hammered striking on a roughly cut planchet. No surrounding legend is present. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Legnica, Poland (1256-1623) |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Liegnitz operated as a semi-autonomous Piast duchy well into the fifteenth century, and its civic coinage reflects the fractured political reality of Silesian territory caught between Bohemian suzerainty and local dynastic ambition. The heller denomination itself originated in the imperial town of Schwäbisch Hall — the name a direct corruption of "Haller" — before spreading across the German-speaking lands as a low-value fiduciary piece that municipal authorities could strike with minimal oversight from higher powers.
At 0.21 g, these pieces were so light that wear and clipping rendered individual coins nearly interchangeable by weight alone.