Catalog
Pfennig - Bernard II Carniola and borderland coinage
| Issuer | Duchy of Carinthia (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1200-1240 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Half-length frontal effigy of Duke Bernard II, crowned and robed, depicted holding two upright banners or flags, one in each hand. The figure is rendered in a flat, stylized Romanesque manner characteristic of medieval Austrian bracteate-influenced coinage. A cross surmounts the crown. The irregular flan and rough strike are consistent with hammered silver production of the early 13th century. A partial Latin legend appears in the field, partially off-flan. |
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| Obverse lettering | ☩ 8---]S |
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| Additional information |
Bernard II, Duke of Carinthia from 1202 to 1256, struck these bracteate-style pfennigs during a period when Carinthian coinage was heavily influenced by neighboring Friesach, whose mint had become the dominant monetary force in the central Alpine trade network since the late twelfth century. The so-called Friesacher Pfennig type circulated across a vast swath of territory from the Adriatic hinterlands into Hungary, and Bernard's issues were part of that broader regional currency bloc rather than an independent monetary assertion.
The Carniola attribution reflects the administrative overlap between Carinthia proper and the March of Carniola, both under ducal control during this period.