Catalog
Pfennig Undetermined Friesach minting
| Issuer | Duchy of Carinthia (Austrian States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1210-1230 |
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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 | Frontal facing bust of a crowned bishop or ruler depicted in high relief within the field, rendered in the Romanesque style typical of Friesach pfennigs of the early 13th century. The figure wears an architectural crown with visible towers or turrets, and the face is rendered schematically with large eyes and stylized facial features. A partial Latin legend is distributed around the periphery of the flan, partially off-flan due to the irregular hammered planchet. The overall composition is characteristic of the Friesach coinage tradition, with bold, deeply struck relief elements despite the crude flan preparation. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Frontal facing crowned bust occupying the majority of the field, depicted in the schematic Romanesque manner common to Friesach-type pfennigs of the early 13th century. The figure, likely representing a bishop or secular ruler, wears a prominent crown and is rendered with simplified facial features, including a circular or oval face with stylized eyes. The surrounding field is largely plain, with the design confined to the central crowned effigy. The coin exhibits characteristic irregular flan edges and variable surface texture resulting from the hammered production technique. |
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| Additional information |
Friesach, in what is now southern Austria, operated one of the most commercially significant mints in the German-speaking lands during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries — its pfennigs circulated from the Adriatic coast to Bohemia, functioning effectively as a regional trade currency long before any centralized monetary authority existed to enforce standardization. Multiple lords held minting rights at Friesach concurrently, including the Archbishop of Salzburg and the Dukes of Carinthia, which is precisely why attribution on individual pieces from this window remains contested.
The CNA Cj92 classification acknowledges the unresolved issuer question directly.