BOHEMIA. Premysl II Otakar, 1253-1278. Bracteate (Silver, 16 mm, 0.35 g, 12 h), for use in Moravia, 1253-1270. Ram jumping right out of a tower; above, ringlet. Rev. Incuse of obverse. Cach 956 var. (shield above ram) Wielandt (Schaffhausen) 30. Weakly struck, some deposits and small edge cracks, otherwise, very fine.


For many years, this type was accepted as an issue of Schaffhausen without further discussion, both in the scholarly literature and in auction catalogs (cf., for example, the Höfken Collection, Cahn 46, 1 March 1922, 182). Wielandt was the first to challenge this long-standing attribution, identifying the coins instead as imitations modeled on issues of Schaffhausen.

Today, their true origin can be placed with confidence in Bohemia during the reign of Premysl II Otakar. This new attribution makes them particularly valuable evidence for the extraordinary circulation and prestige of Schaffhausen currency in the 13th century. The fact that its coinage was copied as far away as Bohemia vividly illustrates the commercial importance of this Rhine city and the reach of its monetary influence across Central Europe.