GERMANY. Konstanz (Bistum) (?). Circa 1160-1170. Vierzipfliger Pfennig (Silver, 18x18 mm, 0.47 g, 12 h), circa 1100-1160. Large cross; in the left field, illegible patterns. Rev. Illegible motif (outstretched hand?). Very rare and nicely toned. Areas of weakness, otherwise, very fine.


This coin type continues to be a subject of debate in medieval numismatics. The nearly rectangular flans, with their distinctive series of parallel stepped lines along the margins, are known from issues struck at Basel, Constance, Reichenau, and St. Gallen during the 11th and 12th centuries. Because these coins were often struck on both sides and on extremely thin flans, the designs are frequently poorly preserved and sometimes barely legible. The same difficulty applies to the present piece: despite the absence of edge cracks or other damage, a precise reading remains challenging.

The large cross visible on the obverse is documented on coins of this fabric from Constance (Rutishauser 61–62). The pointed forms discernible on the reverse may represent the fingertips of an outstretched hand. This motif is likewise recorded for Constance (Rutishauser 60) and also for St. Gallen (Rutishauser 525) on pieces of comparable style. An attribution to Constance is therefore plausible, though by no means certain.