Catalog
Pfennig - Anonymous
| Issuer | Bishopric of Basel |
|---|---|
| Year | 1210-1218 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| 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 | A plain cross with equal arms divides the field into four quadrants, each containing a small annulet; the whole design is enclosed within a beaded inner circle. The flan exhibits four characteristic pinched indentations at the cardinal points, typical of Basel episcopal bracteate-related issues of the early 13th century. No legend or inscription is present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Uniface issue; the reverse is blank, showing only the incuse impression of the obverse design as a result of the hammering technique used in production, with no intentional design or inscription. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Bishopric of Basel's bracteate pfennigs from this period were struck under episcopal authority during a stretch of sustained conflict between the bishop and the city's burghers over municipal autonomy — tensions that would eventually produce Basel's gradual transition toward the Swiss Confederacy. Anonymous attribution was standard for minor ecclesiastical issues of this weight class in the Upper Rhine region, making die-link studies the primary tool for narrowing attribution within the HMZ sequence.