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Pfennig - Frederick III
| Issuer | Duchy of Styria (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1325-1360 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pfennig (800-1500) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field features a small convex shield charged with a fess, surrounded by three unicorn heads arranged in rotational symmetry. The composition is enclosed within a beaded inner circle with an additional pearl border, typical of the Styrian bracteate-influenced pfennig tradition. The design is rendered in low relief consistent with hammered medieval coinage. The overall execution reflects the provincial workshop style of mid-fourteenth century Austrian ducal minting. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse description | Uniface issue; the reverse is blank, exhibiting only the incuse impression of the obverse design transferred through the hammering process, with no intentional devices, legends, or decorative elements. |
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| Additional information |
Frederick III of Habsburg ruled Styria during a period of dynastic consolidation following the extinction of the Babenberg line, with the Habsburgs having secured the duchy only in 1276 under Rudolf I. These bracteate-style pfennigs were struck under feudal minting rights that the Habsburgs jealously guarded as a revenue instrument — the seigniorage margin on thin silver fractions was substantial relative to metal content.
CNA D97 places this type within a sequence that spans nearly four decades, suggesting dies were reused or recut across multiple minting episodes rather than retired annually.