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Obolo Gerardo IV de Cabrera, Balaguer
| Issuer | County of Urgell |
|---|---|
| Year | 1208-1228 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Obol (1/2) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | A crozier (episcopal staff) depicted in the central field, enclosed within an inner circle. A circular Latin legend reading GERALD COMES (Gerard Count) surrounds the central motif, contained between two concentric circles forming a border. The design is characteristic of medieval Catalan hammered billon coinage, with the crozier serving as the heraldic symbol of the Count of Urgell's ecclesiastical authority. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A plain cross with equal arms occupies the central field, set within an inner circle. The circular Latin legend +VRGELLENSIS (of Urgell) runs around the cross between two concentric circles. The cross divides the inner field into four quadrants, typical of the medieval Iberian hammered obol tradition. The overall design conforms to the standard type of the County of Urgell issues under Gerardo IV de Cabrera. |
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| Additional information |
Gerardo IV de Cabrera held the county of Urgell through a period of intense baronial pressure from the Crown of Aragon, which had been systematically absorbing Catalan counties throughout the late twelfth century. These small billon fractions were struck at Balaguer, the county's principal mint, during a tenure defined more by political concession than autonomy — Gerardo ultimately acknowledged Aragonese suzerainty in terms that left little room for independent monetary policy.
At 0.35 grams, attrition losses in circulation were severe, and survivors in any condition above heavily worn are genuinely uncommon.