A very rare denarius minted in the former capital of Poland.
It is a Gniezno issue of the sons of Ladislaus Odonicus, dated to the end of the first half of the 13th century (1239-1249).
This type is most often encountered with two names: that of Saint Adalbert (Z ADALBVSTI) on the side with the head, and that of Ladislaus (VOLDISV) on the side with the kneeling knight. The present one is its noticeably rarer variety, where the prince's name appears on both sides.
This variety correlates well with the depictions, since, as Boris Pashkevich points out, the head with long hair visible on the reverse "does not look like a holy bishop, but rather a secular prince." The prince's name, in turn, is a reference by the sons to their father's authority, presumably to justify their right to mint the coin.
The rarity of the present variety is confirmed by our archive, where the last time we had it on offer was more than 5 years ago, during the sale of the famous medieval collection (10th auction).
Denarius minting, with very good legibility (this type is often found in half-bracteate minting, where one side is of poor legibility).
