POLAND, Monarchs. temp. Bolesław I Chrobry (the Brave), circa 960-1025. Denarius (Silver, 21 mm, 1.19 g, 2 h), imitation of an Regensburg issue of Heinrich I (948-955), 1005-1010. Cross with pellets in three angles; around, blundered legend. Rev. Church building; around, blundered legend. Cf. Hahn 10 (for prototype). Beautifully toned. Very fine.



The coinage struck in Regensburg during the 10th and 11th centuries is well documented in Polish hoard finds (cf. M. Bogucki / P. Ilisch / S. Suchodolski: Frühmittelalterliche Münzfunde aus Polen. Inventar V, Warsaw 2016, p. 14).

As the demand for hoarding in Poland apparently exceeded the available supply and this coin type enjoyed considerable popularity, it was imitated at Polish mints. The imitation illustrated here was modeled on a denarius of Heinrich I and therefore cannot have been produced before the mid-10th century.

Whereas Ilisch dated the production of these imitations to the period between 1020 and 1030 , Bogucki and Magiera have convincingly demonstrated that they were in fact struck between 1005 and 1010 (M. Bogucki / J. Magiera: New Coins of Boleslaw the Brave, in Polish Numismatic News IX, 2015, p. 117).