Curtisimo Posted May 24, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 24, 2022 (edited) Here is a coin from Ragusa / Dubrovnik to kick off the Medieval section. Testing out with some photos from my trip to the city as well. Medieval Croatia Republic of Ragusa Anonymous AR Dinar, Dubrovnik mint, struck ca. AD 1337-1438 Dia.: 18 mm Wt.: 1.11 g Obv.: St. Blaise standing facing, holding cozier and raising hand in benediction Rev.: IC – XC; Christ Pantokrator standing facing with mandorla Ref.: D&D 6.4.1 Photos Depictions of St. Blaise on display in various places in the city Game of Thrones fans (if there are any left after Season 8 🤮) will recognize this city as King’s Landing A truly beautiful place The Rectors Palace: this is where the coins of Ragusa were struck after 1435. The location of the earlier mint (where my coin was struck) is not known. A pretty epic bar that you get to by passing through a tiny little door in the medieval wall. Excellent views! Edited May 24, 2022 by Curtisimo 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etcherdude Posted May 25, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 25, 2022 (edited) Hi @Curtisimo, handsome dinar and some great Dubrovnik shots. Croatia has been increasingly on our travel itineraries. We first visited Dubrovnik as a cruise day trip. Since that introduction we’ve ferried across to Split and environs from Ancona. More recently we took the bus from Trieste across Istria to spend time in Pula. Not quite Italy, but similar in many ways (great food, warm people, amazing history, art and architecture) and not as crowded. Edited May 25, 2022 by Etcherdude 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted May 26, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 26, 2022 (edited) Very, Very cool coin, @Curtisimo, along with your terrific, inherently eloquent complementary pics from your trip. I've only been to Europe once, in 1973, on a family trip when I was 11. Usual suspects; what was then West Germany (where we sponged off of relatives), with all-too-brief forays into France and southern England. But it would be great to see this part of --please, stay with me-- Illyria. (Pedantry Ensues. You Were Warned.) It's really registering how this part of Europe remained that integral to the* continent, from Roman Emperial times (witness the emperors from the later phases of the 'Anarchy' to Constantine), through the medieval centuries, to, thank you, the present day. I especially need how the coin, with its combined Latin and Byzantine legends and motifs, echoes Venetian grossos from the early 13th century. And how this combination finds an eloquent, if partial reply in the Romanesque and Gothic architectural elements of the Palace. (In the German empire, anyway, some of the earliest Romanesque church architecture (11th c.) coincides with the appropriation of lots of Byzantine influence ...noticeably, for one collective example, in Salian coins.) *(please read, an otherwise very small, if not geographically fictional...) Edited May 26, 2022 by JeandAcre 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etcherdude Posted May 26, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 26, 2022 @JeandAcre, Dubrovnik was part of the Republic of Venice until the mid-fourteenth century. The coins minted there not only resemble Venetian coins, but many of them are. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted May 26, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 26, 2022 @Etcherdude, Many thanks for enlightening me! Even with my emphatically sketchy acquaintance with the history, this makes immediate, intuitive sense. Where this part both of Europe, and the Medieval period are concerned, I get minimal traction, especially without help. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisimo Posted May 26, 2022 · Supporter Author Share Posted May 26, 2022 Thanks for all the very kind words @Etcherdude and @JeandAcre. 🙂 Croatia was probably my favorite place I’ve ever been and Ragusa / Dubrovnik was a real highlight. The city was founded by refugees of the Roman city of Epidaurum (modern Cavtat) after the incursions of the Slavs and Avars forced them to abandon that city in the early 600s. If you look at the panorama photo I posted in the OP the rocky part on the right is where the original settlement was. (Where the GOT Red Keep was CGI’d in). That part of the city was originally not fully connected to the mainland and was easy to defend. One of the possible origins of the name Ragusa is “sitting on the rock.” A Slavic population settled on the mainland opposite Ragusa and named their settlement Dubrovnik. Eventually the channel between the settlements was filled in which is where the Main Street of the city is today. Pretty cool. The inhabitants never forgot their Roman origins and maintained a Senate of Patricians and a consul which eventually became the Rector. They fought off the Venetians in 948 which they attributed to the help of St. Blaise which is why he is on the coins. Even when Venice held hegemony over the city it was tenuous and sporadic. I read a whole book on the city before I visited which I greatly enjoyed. 🙂 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisimo Posted May 29, 2022 · Supporter Author Share Posted May 29, 2022 13 minutes ago, Mat said: Beautiful coin, Curtis. I love the toning on it. Thanks Mat! Good to see you posting here. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordianAppreciator101 Posted May 29, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 29, 2022 That's a beautiful coin! Thanks for sharing. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientNumis Posted May 29, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 29, 2022 On 5/24/2022 at 5:13 AM, Curtisimo said: Here is a coin from Ragusa / Dubrovnik to kick off the Medieval section. Testing out with some photos from my trip to the city as well. Medieval Croatia Republic of Ragusa Anonymous AR Dinar, Dubrovnik mint, struck ca. AD 1337-1438 Dia.: 18 mm Wt.: 1.11 g Obv.: St. Blaise standing facing, holding cozier and raising hand in benediction Rev.: IC – XC; Christ Pantokrator standing facing with mandorla Ref.: D&D 6.4.1 Photos Depictions of St. Blaise on display in various places in the city Game of Thrones fans (if there are any left after Season 8 🤮) will recognize this city as King’s Landing A truly beautiful place The Rectors Palace: this is where the coins of Ragusa were struck after 1435. The location of the earlier mint (where my coin was struck) is not known. A pretty epic bar that you get to by passing through a tiny little door in the medieval wall. Excellent views! Great coins and lovely photos, looks really spectacular 🙂 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quant.geek Posted May 31, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 31, 2022 Outstanding coin! Another one that is high on my want list, but can't seem to find a decent one... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted May 31, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 31, 2022 Great photos of Dubrovnik and coin. Although I've travelled many places in Europe, I've never visited the city of Dubrovnik. It's so popular now they've put a counter at the entrance of the city walls to allow only a certain amount of visitors at the same time, just like in museums. Must be very busy in the summer ! Q 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtisimo Posted May 31, 2022 · Supporter Author Share Posted May 31, 2022 4 hours ago, Qcumbor said: Great photos of Dubrovnik and coin. Although I've travelled many places in Europe, I've never visited the city of Dubrovnik. It's so popular now they've put a counter at the entrance of the city walls to allow only a certain amount of visitors at the same time, just like in museums. Must be very busy in the summer ! Q When I was there it was only crowded when the cruise ships were in. If you were staying in the area and checked the cruise schedule you could visit with a much reduced crowd. It is an especially charming place for dinner in the evening. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petar_rc13 Posted May 31, 2022 · Member Share Posted May 31, 2022 I also have a coin from the republic of Ragusa too!!! The republic of Ragusa itself is very specific throughout history. It had a very complex system of government that ensured a well managed state. Every so often they elected a rector (which is like a president) who during his tenure had to be completely isolated from his friends and family to prevent corruption. They were also a safe haven for political dissidents as they offered asylum to exiles from various Balkan countries. Their skill in seafaring, sharp diplomacy and talented merchants allowed for them to play other countries off each other to prevent the city of Dubrovnik itself from being attacked. If none of this worked they could also retreat to their system of fortifications. They were also the only Balkan country to ever have a colony in India. Overall the republic of Ragusa stands out as one of those neat curiosities in the pages of history. It legacy still lives on as a center of culture in Dalmatia. As someone who lives near it, I view the city with nothing but respect.. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrefn Posted May 31, 2022 · Supporter Share Posted May 31, 2022 I have two coins of Ragusa, one of which is most remarkable for its countermark. I assume one side shows the head of Saint Blasius, and the other represents the fortified city. I believe these were struck between 1372 and 1438 AD. If anyone knows anything about the countermark, or can date the striking of these coins more precisely, I would love to know more. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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