| 裏面の説明 |
Central motif consisting of a prominent triple-arched architectural structure, suggestive of a stylized church facade or city gate, rendered in bold relief with a row of pellets forming an arch above the three bays. The uppermost element features a cross pattee or similar finial surmounting the central arch, with additional decorative pellets populating the field. A beaded border or dotted inner circle frames the design, consistent with the Friesach mint style of the second half of the 12th century. The flan edges are irregular, reflecting hand-hammered production. No legend is present, as is typical of this obol type. |
Friesach, in the Duchy of Carinthia, became one of the most important minting centers in the German-speaking lands during the twelfth century, and the denarii produced there set the weight and fineness standard copied across a vast arc of Central European commerce — from the Alpine passes into Hungary and the Balkans. The so-called "Friesach standard" was sufficiently trusted that imitations were struck by dozens of regional lords who wanted their coins accepted in Friesacher trade circuits without actually controlling a Friesach mint.
This obol, the half-denomination, carries marks that resist clean attribution to a specific issuing authority within the Carinthian minting complex — a persistent problem with this series given overlapping ecclesiastical and secular mint rights held simultaneously by the Archbishop of Salzburg and the Carinthian dukes.