Featured An interesting coinage from a German crusader lord called "Jasomirgott"

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by seth77, Mar 3, 2020.

  1. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    The German coinage of the 12th century is extremely diverse and at times hectic, as baronial and ecclesiastical mints were often more prolific, important and profitable than Royal or even Imperial ones. One of these mints, located at Regensburg, had been a Royal mint, striking coinage for the Kings of Germany between 947 and 1070, before becoming the capital and main mint of the united Duchy of Bavaria, and striking for the barons of the House of Welf and Babenberg.

    One of these lords was Heinrich XI von Babenberg, called by contemporaries and successors Jasomirgott, who ruled as both Duke of Bavaria and Margrave of Austria from 1141/3 to 1156.

    His coinage as Duke of Bavaria from Regensburg in the 1140s is struck on wide flans, usually with flat areas, and is quite scarce. This specimen is better than the average for the type:

    1023942_1580979037.jpg

    AR23x21mm, 1.06g, silver dunnpfennig, minted at Regensburg, cca. 1143-1145/50.
    Head facing slightly right in pearled circle; surrounded by 7 arches, each containing a head. Points and (possibly) letters outside the arches.
    Seated king to the right, handing a flag to right standing duke inside a pearled circle. Points and letters outside the circle (and off flan mostly).
    Emmerig 78, Medieval Coins of Bavaria.



    The rule of Heinrich (Henry) is tied to the rise in importance of Vienna, where he eventually established his seat of power (in 1145), after having resided in Regensburg (as acting Duke of Bavaria) from 1141/3. Heinrich took part in the Second Crusade in 1147, joining the company of King Conrad III of Germany, which is possibly where he got the nickname Jasomirgott.

    The campaign of Conrad was a disaster and most of the German army was lost at Dorylaeum. After which:

    • In 1148 he was in Constantinople, waiting for Conrad to recover.
    • Later that same year, Heinrich XI was with his king in Jerusalem and very likely through the failed attempts to siege Damascus and Ascalon that summer.
    • In late 1148, the German host was again in Constantinople, where Heinrich married Theodora Comnena, the niece of Emperor Manuel I.
    • In 1149 he was back in Vienna.

    The nickname which appears to have been given to him during this crusading period (1147-1148) stuck with the Babenberg family at least until the 13th century, when it is mentioned in the Auctarium vindobonese in the form of "Ioch so mir Got" -- possibly a Mittelhochdeutsch expression similar to "joch sam mir Got (helfe)" or "ja, so (wahr) mir Gott (helfe)," meaning "Yes, so help me God," as part of an oath, possibly a loyalty oath to God and King during the fateful campaigns in Asia Minor and the Holy Land.


    In 1156, his former comrade in arms from Dorylaeum, Friedrich, now Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, raised his Austrian domains from a Margraviate to the rank of Duchy and established Heinrich as the first independent Duke of Austria, which he ruled until his death in early 1177.

    As far as German coinage from the 12th century goes, this type has one of the more artistic and intricately complex designs, unfortunately, as many other German issues, lacking quality control in its striking, many coins being poorly struck, double-struck or with large areas of flat striking. Despite its flat strike area, from what I have seen, this specimen is one of the better examples for the type.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2020
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  3. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Oh, my! That head within a circle of smaller heads is really something!
     
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  4. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    The strike reminds me of contemporary English coins like a Watford type penny of King Stephen I once owned.

    The 12th century must be one of the lowest points for strike quality on Western medieval coins. You can tell your coin there is in reasonably high grade and despite the poor, uneven strike, that might even be better than average, if compared with English coins of Stephen and Henry I and such.

    Of course I've never seen another of this type, so have no like pieces to compare it to.
     
    seth77 likes this.
  5. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    That's a very attractive example for this type of Regensburg pfennig! Thanks also for the insightful write-up.

    I've got some related coins showing the influence of the Babenberg family in the 12th and 13th centuries. This Friesach pfennig was minted for archbishop Adalbert III of Bohemia, a nephew of Heinrich Jasomirgott. Adalbert succeeded his uncle (and Heinrich's brother) Conrad of Babenberg as archbishop of Salzburg in 1168. His mother Gertrud was a sister of Heinrich and Conrad who had married the Bohemian king Vladislaus II. Adalbert had more or less permanent quarrels with emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

    MA – Deutschland etc., Erzbistum Salzburg, Friesacher Pfennig, Adalbert.png
    Adalbert III of Bohemia, Prince–Archbishopric of Salzburg, Friesach pfennig, ca. 1170–1200 AD, Friesach mint. Obv: E[R]IAC[EN]SIS (retrograde), bishop standing facing, holding crosier and book. Rev: church building with two towers, cross above pediment, four ringlets (windows?) below. 19mm, 0.97g. Ref: CNA, Ca9.

    Another Friesach pfennig, minted for the Bernhard of Spanheim, Duke of Carinthia and a great-grandson of Heinrich Jasomirgott. Bernhard's grandfather Herman II of Spanheim had married Heinrich's daughter Agnes:


    MA – Deutschland etc., Kärnten, Bernhard, Friesacher Pfennig, grüsteter Herzog u. Kreuz .png
    Duchy of Carinthia, Bernhard von Spanheim, Friesach pfennig, ca. 1202–1256 AD, St. Veit mint. Obv: +[...]VS, duke standing facing, wearing chain mail, holding sword and shield. Rev: +SANCTVS; cross pattée with flowers in quadrants. 19mm, 1.32g. Ref: CNA I, Cb 17.
     
  6. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    This extreme variety of coinages, styles and mints can be intimidating, at least compared to the tournois and parisii (which are my main areas of numismatic interest) or even to the French feudal coinage at large, that I find more contained and synthetic. And throughout all this amount of material, there are some German designs that are just extremely interesting and very quintessentially medieval. This Regensburger and your Friesacher pfennige remind me of the German medieval fairs and the Rattenfaenger von Hameln.
     
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  7. Nicholas Molinari

    Nicholas Molinari Well-Known Member

    That is a great looking coin!
     
  8. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Very interesting coins. Just a theory, but I could imagine that the 7 heads in the arches represent the 7 electoral princes (Kurfürsten), meaning that the head in the centre would be the German Emperor.

    The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was elected by a collegium of electoral princes, called the "Kurfürsten". The word "Kur-" comes from the German verb "küren", meaning to elect, while "-fürst" means prince.
    In the 12th century electoral Princes were:

    1. The Archbishop of Mainz as Imperial Chancellor for Germany
    2. The Archbishop of Cologne as Imperial Chancellor for Italy
    3. The Archbishop of Trier as Imperial Chancellor for Burgundy

    4. The King of Bohemia as Erzmundschenk (= Cup bearer)
    5. The Count Palatine of the Rhine as Truchsess
    6. The Duke of Saxony as Marschall (= head of the stables)
    7. The Margrave of Brandenburg as Erzkämmerer (= Chamberlain)


    The last 4 are the so called "Hofämter" (= court offices). In addition there was a further court office that was not held by an electoral prince. This was the office of "Reichssturmfähnrich und Vorstreiter des Kaisers" (=primicerius et signifer regis). The long title may be translated as "Imperial war/storm banner bearer and leader of the first charge". The office was heriditary with the Counts of Grüningen. It was a highly prestigious office, but, as one would expect, many holders of this office paid for the honor with their lifes.

    As the title implies the Reichs-Sturm-Fähnrich bears the "Reichssturmfahne" (= imperial storm banner/battle flag) and exercises the so called "Vorstreitrecht", i.e. the right to lead the first charge in a battle. No wonder that the electoral princes were not so keen on this office.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2020
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  9. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    An interesting interpretation, but I think it would work better if it was an Imperial issue rather than feudal?
     
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  10. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    The coin below is described (see link) as a penny of Regensburg, minted jointly by the Duke of Bavaria and the Bishop of Regensburg (i.e. a feudal coin) dating to 1130/1140. The coin shows the head of the Emperor as can be seen by the imperial crown.

    https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=960790


    Screenshot 2020-03-04 at 20.48.44.png
     
  11. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

  12. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    Seems plausible. The first coin is marked as a royal issue (perhaps on the account of the crowned bust) and could point to the royal or imperial function and or closeness to a certain royal or imperial family, rather than an actual contemporary king/emperor, in a manner similar to the spreading of the fleur-de-lys during the 13th century in the French realms.

    The eagle is also associated with the King of the Romans, even before being acknowledged and crowned as Holy Roman Emperor, Conrad III for instance was never crowned as Emperor of the Holy Empire and ruled as King of Germany (King of the Romans).

    I wonder what makes the first a Royal pfennig and what differentiates it from the regular dunnpfennige of the time, and whether the difference is functional or just due to the evocative design.

    I think you might be right or at least in the ballpark with your interpretation, which makes sense also as a royal connection, if not imperial.
     
  13. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    I think the image of the crowned and bearded emperor on the first coin does not have to refer to a specific emperor or king. It may be an ideal or idealised ruler that was intended to symbolise the order of central devine kingship. The 12th century saw the first signs of weakening of the central royal and imperial power in Germany through challenges from different dynasties, most famously the competition between the Welfen and the Staufer. I could imagine that royal images on feudal coins from Regensburg may have been intended to support the idea of centralised kingship. After all the Babenberg dynasty was closely related to the king and always hopeful to be on the receiving end of royal favours.
     
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