Catalog
Pfennig - Bernard II Heiligenkreuz
| Issuer | Duchy of Carinthia (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1220-1240 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pfennig |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | [+]INRAS - S[VV] |
| Reverse description | The reverse features a central heraldic or decorative motif, likely a stylized eagle or beast passant within a beaded inner circle, rendered in the crude but vigorous Romanesque manner typical of Carinthian bracteate-influenced pfennigs of the early 13th century. The design is enclosed by a border of pellets or stylized foliage, with legend characters distributed around the outer field of the irregularly shaped flan. The strike is uneven, with areas of flatness due to the hammered technique, but the primary motif remains identifiable. The surrounding legend is partially legible and runs along the coin's periphery. |
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| Additional information |
Bernard II of Carinthia, of the House of Sponheim, presided over a duchy caught between competing imperial and papal ambitions during the fractious reign of Frederick II. The Heiligenkreuz pfennigs of this period represent one of the few relatively dateable bracket issues from Carinthia, anchored by charter evidence rather than die study alone. Bracteate-adjacent thin silver coinages like this one were characteristic of the Alpine minting tradition, where thin flans and single-die striking kept production costs low for a politically fragmented region that lacked the consolidated mint infrastructure of the larger German principalities.