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Obol - Béla III
| Issuer | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Year | 1172-1196 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A horizontal central line divides the field into two registers. Above the line, a cross flanked by four wedge-shaped devices is accompanied by two diagonal lines. Below the line, a pair of small crosses flank an arrangement of small vertical and horizontal strokes. The design is enclosed within a plain inner circle, itself set within a broad flat rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Within a plain inner circle, a central cross with a pellet in each of the four quarters, alternating with four inward-facing crescents placed between the arms of the cross. The design is contained within a broad, flat hammered rim typical of Hungarian medieval coinage of the late twelfth century. |
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| Additional information |
Béla III inherited a kingdom financially transformed by his years at the Byzantine court, where he'd been groomed as a potential heir to Manuel I Komnenos. He returned to Hungary in 1172 with Byzantine administrative habits intact, and his reign saw the first systematic attempt to record royal revenues — a document surviving today that places his income on par with the French crown. These fractional silver pieces circulated in a kingdom more economically organized than its western neighbors typically credited.