This is a coin known as a “Bracteate,” manufactured in Brunswick within the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire, dating from AD 1252 to AD 1279. The coin features two concentric circles, with a central totemic lion symbolising the duchy. At the top is the lion’s head, followed by its body in the middle, and at the bottom is a pedestal composed of a spherical bead. This lion emblem was adopted by the ancestors of the duchy a century earlier, under the reign of Henry the Lion, who served as the Duke of Saxony. Since Henry the Lion’s time, the lion has become the symbol of the city of Brunswick, where a bronze statue of a lion stands in the city centre.
In AD 1252, Albert the Tall succeeded his father as the ruler of the duchy, concurrently serving as the guardian of his younger brother, John. By AD 1264, when John reached adulthood and married, Albert adhered to tradition by dividing the territory of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. John received the territory primarily centred around Lüneburg, while Albert reorganised the remaining portion into the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
The type of coin known as a “Bracteate” was prevalent from the 12th century to the early 16th century and was commonly circulated in the Germanic and Scandinavian regions. Unlike coins from the Roman era, Bracteates were struck using only one die instead of two. These coins, made from soft materials such as lead or tin, would leave distinct impressions of the die’s outline on the reverse side after being struck.
During the 12th century within the Holy Roman Empire, numerous principalities coexisted, and the feudal system with its manorial holdings had yet to evolve beyond medieval norms. Economic activity largely stagnated at a primitive stage characterised by barter, with only a limited circulation of currency, often manufactured using inexpensive materials such as lead and tin. To collect taxes, rulers frequently declared old coins obsolete at intervals of two to three years. They established an exchange rate of four old coins for three new ones, thus reclaiming coins from the populace. Consequently, archaeologists seldom encounter coins from this period in hoard-like formations reminiscent of those from the Roman era because these Bracteate coins had expiration dates and were unsuitable for savings or wealth accumulation.
