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Pfennig - Frederick II of Walchen Friesach
| Issuer | Archbishopric of Salzburg (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1270-1284 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Frontal bust of a bishop in high relief, centrally placed between two stylized towers, the figure rendered in a schematic Romanesque manner characteristic of Friesacher Pfennige. A lily motif rises above the episcopal bust, serving as a heraldic emblem of the issuing authority. The entire design is enclosed within two raised concentric circles forming a beaded or plain border, framing the composition against a flat field. The coin is uniface, with all design elements concentrated on this single struck face. The irregular flan and variable surface texture are typical of hammered provincial coinage of the late 13th century. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Frederick II ruled the Archbishopric of Salzburg during a period when the Friesach penny dominated trans-Alpine trade, functioning as the de facto currency across much of the eastern Alpine region from the late 12th century onward. By the 1270s, however, the type was in visible decline — debasement by competing ecclesiastical and secular mints had eroded the standard so thoroughly that the original high-fineness Friesach issues were being hoarded and exported rather than spent. Frederick's issues reflect this late-phase production, struck thin and light against a type that had once commanded genuine monetary authority across Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola.