Not that this post is about some medieval intrigue from hundreds of years ago, but rather I've given up on id'ing this coin and decided to ask for help cause it's KILLING me! As you may recall I purchased a couple lots of unidentified medieval coins. I've id'ed all but 1. And it is ridiculous. Though I believe I've seen the type before, it has no discernable images, letters or anything for me search. It is 17 mm. Almost certainly, due to the near square look, has been clipped. And like most medieval coinage it is near paper thin. Any help is appreciated:
I believe that is a Henry III-V denaro struck in Lucca (1039-1125 A.D.) obverse legend:H in center surrounded by +IMPERATOR reverse legend: LVCA surrounded by +ENRICVS Biaggi 1056; Metcalf 10-15
Thank you very much @john82! 2 things shocked me here. 1- that you could so readily identify this! I didn't even see those indentations as writing And B- this hot mess if a lil sliver of a coin is from Italy?! Where a 1,500-1,000 years earlier some of the most beautiful coins of all time were being produced
These coins were immobilized for about 100 years, time during which the fabric and style went through changes and degenerated. Also it seems that dies were overused, so the quality had to suffer from that too.
A very interesting coin @Ryro - I need to one day to expand into medievals other than Byzantine. I did get a fake coin from my neighbor as a kid - a denier of Bohemund of Tripolis, but it turned out to be a lead cast.