A spectacularly rare crown denarius - FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE NATIONAL AUCTION MARKET.
On the obverse the Gothic letter R and in the rim the legend, on the reverse the crown and below it the letter K.
We have not found this type of denarius in the archives, also in Kopicki's catalog there is no such coin.
Looking through Onebid's history, we come across two similar pieces (R/crown), but neither has the letter K under the crown!
A highly probable UNIQUE.
This denarius, as well as the other two known pieces with the letter R, have no fully established attribution.
It is attributed to Casimir III the Great, although Wladyslaw Lokietek cannot be ruled out as well.
According to two theories, it could be an Inowrocław coin of Casimir the Great (Inowrocław bore the name Wladislavia and the initial of Casimir the Great), or a Kraków piece of Wladyslaw the Short (referring to pieces with Wladyslaw's name around the crown and the letter K for Kraków).
However, it seems that the latter attribution is less likely due to the stylistic dissimilarity of the drawings.
To supplement the description, we would like to add some words of Prof. Borys Paszkiewicz, Ph.D., on this type of denarius, contained in Rocznik Historyczny - Rocznik LXXIV - 2008 (Wrocław) in the article "De moneta in Regno currente Mennnictwo polskie Kazimierza Wielkiego", and who reads the Gothic letter R as the letter B(!):
"(...) a single coin of unusual appearance has appeared in the antiquarian trade. On the obverse is a broad crown with three florets, below is the capital letter K. On the reverse is the capital B, with dots or half roses on the left, a pearl border, in the rim the pseudo-legend KBBKKKKKK.... (Fig. 13). (...) The shape of the letter K from the obverse is similar to the letters on chalices founded by Casimir the Great in Trzemeszno (1351) and Stopnica (1362). The obverse looks like a borrowing from French coins (wide crown), the reverse has no such references at all. (...) It could therefore be a denarius intended for the Brest (or possibly Bydgoszcz) territory."
Crème de la crème of the minting of Casimir the Great.
Very nice, well readable piece, age patina.
For a most excellent collection.
Obverse: gothic letter R/B(?), in the rim an inscription.
Reverse: crown, below it the letter K.
Diameter 11 mm, weight 0.16 g
