A very rare bracteate dating from the first half of the 13th century (tentatively the second quarter).
Depiction: a half-length portrait facing forward, holding a sword in his right hand and a banner in his left.
A bracteate featuring iconography well known from Piast coins, depicting the ruler with a sword, insignia of authority, and a banner. This set of attributes is known, among others, from the bracteates of Mieszko III (Kopicki 108) and an unidentified Piast prince (Kopicki 130). In contrast to those, however, the ruler holds the sword vertically, in a bent hand, at his side (resting on his shoulder?). Additionally, unlike the Hebrew-inscribed issues of Mieszko, the figure does not wear a helmet.
The coin’s dimensions and iconography point to a group of bracteates from the Kraków hoard. An iconographic analogy can be found, among others, on the bracteate illustrated in the study by Paszkiewicz and Haczewska (no. 4).
Silver, diameter 13.5–15 mm, weight 0.11 g.
