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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Orielensis, post: 4245944, member: 96898&quot;]That&#039;s an interesting observation. Medieval monograms on coins usually are deciphered by comparison with initials in contemporary manuscript illumination.&nbsp; Depending on which side is up, the coin allows for three readings.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here, the obvious reading would be an &quot;M&quot; for Manfred. The initial below from Morgan Library, MS M.193, fol. 473r (France, ca. 1200–1250) is pretty much a standard letter shape. This is the interpretation I find most convincing:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1083796[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Secondly, the coin can be rotated by 90 degree, so that the letter appears as a &quot;B&quot;. This letter might, for example, stand for Beatrice of Savoy, Manfred&#039;s first wife. Yet, Beatrice had died before 1259 – therefore, this is a long stretch. Compare this example from Frankfurt, Städel Museum, 17216 Z (Rhineland, 13th c.):</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1083794[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, it could be rotated by 180 degree and show an ornamented &quot;T.&quot; I have no idea what this letter could stand for. The letter shape below is quite typical – it already appears in the famous 11th century manuscript Merseburg, Domstiftsbibliothek, Cod. I, 129 (the second image below).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1083797[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1083795[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Maybe more than one of these readings was intended? We can&#039;t know, but the idea is charming.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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