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Obol - Béla III
| Issuer | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 1172-1196 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | ÉH#95, H#181, H#182, CAC II#20.21.1.1; 20.21.1.2, EK I#15/11 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A small central cross is surrounded by four pellets, all contained within a raised inner line circle; the fields beyond the circle to the outer edge are plain, consistent with the austere, anonymous style of 12th-century Hungarian bracteate-influenced deniers. |
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| Mintage | ND (1172-1196) - - ND (1172-1196) - Bronze strike version - ND (1172-1196) - H#182 (EK#15/12) - rev.: additional 4 crescents (CAC II# 20.21.1.2) - |
| Additional information |
Béla III came to the throne having spent years at the Byzantine court in Constantinople, where he was groomed as a potential heir to Manuel I Komnenos. This unusual upbringing left a measurable mark on Hungarian coinage of his reign — Byzantine stylistic influence is widely noted by specialists in the Árpád-era series. The administrative reorganization he undertook also included the first known written accounting of royal revenues in Hungary, placing this tiny denomination within a surprisingly well-documented fiscal structure for the period.
The multiple catalogue references reflect genuine die variation across the type; H#181 and H#182 are treated as distinct by some authorities.