wittwolff Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 16, 2023 Hello fellow collectors, I collect coins mainly by the monarchs featured on them. While doing this I also created a collection of Holy Roman Emperors, till now only from the Habsburg era (1440-1806). But now I finally got my first Pre-Habsburg coin from the Empire and the Emperor featured on it is not just anyone but one of the greatest medieval rulers: Emperor Friedrich II. of Hohenstaufen called Stupor Wundi (The wonder/ marvel of the world) by some and the antichrist by mainly higher church officials. His rule mainly focused on his italian possessions where he left a rich heritage. From the famous Castel del Monte (Castle) to his very own magnificent trade coinage called "Augustalis". Owning such a coin is definitely a little dream of my but for now I settled on a german minted Pfennig. Even in his Germany he was one of the more prolific coin minters. (Not my Castle and not my coin either - Images from Wikipedia) Anyways my coin surely is far away from an Augustalis but still features a for medieval standarts quite good profile bust of the Emperor holding a cross in his hand. I could write a lot more about the historic figure of Friedrich II. here but I want to end this with a little request for help. While the obverse is quite easy to recognize I really cant make out what is happening on the reverse on the coin or even how I have to turn it. So if anyone here can help me with this problem I would be very grateful. Anyways here the coin with all the data I for now was able to get on it: So thank you for reading this and maybe thanks in advance if anyone can identify what to see on the reverse. Also feel free to post your own coins featuring medieval Holy Roman Emperors or Frederik II. in special. Maybe someone here even owns and Augustalis? 😉 15 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ominus1 Posted July 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted July 16, 2023 ..kool coin man!...:)...i go the way of the Habsburg HRE's also (and then some!)...my latest coin is a pfennig from Styria of Frederick lll (HRE).. these types are one-sided but old habits die hard so i took the 'reverse too........here's to pfennigs of the Fredericks! 😄 Steiermark: Einseitiger Hälbling o.J. Friedrich V. ( III.), 1424-1493: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 16, 2023 (edited) Very cool, @wittwolff, and a solid writeup. Personally, I have to like the Castel del Monte even more than the Augustalis. Maybe just a little implicitly, @ominus1 nailed it regarding your question. The pfennig is known as a bracteate (German Brakteat). These were uniface coins which were thin enough to have an incuse mirror image of the obverse on the other side. (Edit:) They're especially widespread in German issues, where they minted, in various modules, from the 12th at least through the 15th century, as in @ominus1's example. If you go back far enough, lots of people on the forum have posted about these; there might even be a whole thread on them. This is just the English Wiki article on them; actually pretty good for the genre. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracteate Edited July 16, 2023 by JeandAcre 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth77 Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 16, 2023 Nurnberg ca. 1230-30 Messina 1244-5 Milano 1250 and immobilized after 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hrefn Posted July 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted July 16, 2023 If you are willing to settle for a more modest multiple tari of Frederick II, rather than aspiring to ownership of the lofty augustalis, you may be able to find something like this. From CGB auction in 2022, in which it hammered for 300 euro, plus fees. 3.14 grams. The CGB auction photo was not flattering, which may have inhibited the bidding. I like my pictures better. Obverse: IC XC NIKA Reverse: pseudo-cufic inscription 9 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 16, 2023 (edited) Wasn't sure I had any pics. This is a pleasant surprise. Messina or Palermo. Frederick with first wife, Constance of Aragon, minted 1209-1213. (Edit:) Half denaro. Crowned eagle (a variant of the Hohenstaufen arms). (From 1 o'clock:) FREDERIC . REX Floriate cross; crescents and pellets in angles. (From 4 o'clock, punctuated by the flowers:) + C / RE / GI / NA D'Andrea 96. D'Andrea notes that Constance of Aragon can be distinguished by Frederick's mother, Constance of Sicily, because the latter, as the queen and dowager of Henry VI, always used the title of Empress (Imperiatrix). Edited July 17, 2023 by JeandAcre Too many; additions, typos and clarification regarding Constance of Sicily, relative to the operant chronology. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wittwolff Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 @JeandAcre Yes I am aware that the Bracteates where unifaced. But I have seen some other Pfennigs of Friedrich II. that where not unifaced but had the same Obverse as mine. I have seen examples featuring eagles and some featuring castles or city walls. On this page there are some examples to see: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?similar=538229 . This makes me think that mine might not be unifaced but instead just had a very messy reverse that is quite hard to make out 🤔 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wittwolff Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 Also a little mistake I just noticed I made in my little datacard about the coin - he doesnt hold a cross but a lily topped scepter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wittwolff Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 @Hrefn While that is a nice coin my desire for the Augustalis mainly comes from the portraiture and overall for a medieval coin very unique style it has. I maybe will never own one but one can have dreams 🙂 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted July 16, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 16, 2023 29 minutes ago, wittwolff said: @JeandAcre Yes I am aware that the Bracteates where unifaced. But I have seen some other Pfennigs of Friedrich II. that where not unifaced but had the same Obverse as mine. I have seen examples featuring eagles and some featuring castles or city walls. On this page there are some examples to see: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?similar=538229 . This makes me think that mine might not be unifaced but instead just had a very messy reverse that is quite hard to make out 🤔 Sorry for completely misinterpreting what you were saying, @wittwolff. Your level of erudition about this summarily blows mine out of the water! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted July 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted July 16, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, wittwolff said: Not my Castle Interesting topic. A good way to have your own Castel del Monte is to acquire a 1 eurocent coin from Italy Q Edited July 16, 2023 by Qcumbor 5 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edessa Posted July 16, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted July 16, 2023 Germany, Ulm (Königliche Münzstätte). Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, AD 1220-1250. AR Bracteate Pfennig (20mm, 0.40g). Obv: Crowned, armored, and winged bust of Frederick II facing, with hand raised in benediction; all within border of alternating crosses and squares. Rev: Incuse of obverse. Ref: Bonhoff 1866. Ex CNG e242 (13 Oct 2010), Lot 271. 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinmaster Posted July 19, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 19, 2023 On 7/17/2023 at 12:12 AM, Edessa said: with hand raised in benediction I would say to swear or take oath, because there are two fingers raised, not the whole hand. Nice coin! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted July 25, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted July 25, 2023 (edited) On 7/16/2023 at 9:08 PM, wittwolff said: This makes me think that mine might not be unifaced but instead just had a very messy reverse that is quite hard to make out 🤔 Your coin is the obverse type with the lily sceptre (Slg. Bonhoff 2013), so the reverse should show two ascending birds with a staff/spire in between. As usual with these, the reverse is barely struck. Even on exceptionally good examples of Nuremberg pfennige from that period, the reverse is at best partially there: Nuremberg, imperial mint, under Frederick II, AR pfennig (group 6), c. 1245–1250 AD. Obv: lion walking l. within high ring; roses around. Rev: cross between two standing lions, ring and roses around (weak strike as usual). 20mm, 0.94g. Ref: Slg. Erlanger 32, Fd. Hersbruck 19, Slg. Bonhoff 2015. Edited July 26, 2023 by Ursus 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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