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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;+VGO.DVCKS, post: 5058107, member: 110504&quot;][ATTACH=full]1202144[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1202145[/ATTACH]</p><p>German Empire, Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, Bernold, 1027-1054.&nbsp; Denar /pfennig.</p><p>Obv. Bishop facing, holding crozier and staff with a cross.&nbsp; Full legend (unless this is a variant: ) +SCS MARTINVS ARCBIER</p><p>(As of now, &#039;Arcbier&#039; appears to be a medieval Latin (or maybe even Frisian--making the legend bilingual) rendering of &#039;archbishop.&#039;)</p><p>Rev. Crenellated city wall, with gateway between two towers.</p><p>+BERNOLDVS EPISCOPVS; above: [STRA/]ECT[V]</p><p>(Apparently medieval Latin for &#039;Utrecht.&#039;)</p><p>The 11th-century issues from Frisia and northern Germany are habit-forming for their remarkably elaborate designs, within the limitations of contemporaneous, punch-based engraving.&nbsp; The recurring architectural theme is one of the main draws.</p><p>I&#039;ve yet to even try squinting out the Google Books version of Dannenberg for this, but examples from Acsearch (citing something or other that&#039;s more current) routinely attribute the &#039;portait&#039; to the reigning bishop.&nbsp; But for now, I&#039;d rather think it&#039;s St. Martin himself, with the honorary title of &#039;archbishop&#039; (as it would be for the prince-bishop of Utrecht, apart from being a formal prince of the Empire).&nbsp; Martin is one of any number of &#039;martial saints,&#039; having been a soldier under the emperor Julian before leaving the army and becoming bishop of Tours.&nbsp; Continuing the wishful thinking, the design might include a medieval rendering of chain mail.</p><p>...Oh, No!&nbsp; Almost forgot, Again.&nbsp; Folks are cordially invited to post anything with architectural motifs (there was a terrific thread on this, mainly for Roman coins, just lately), or St. Martin, or whatever else is related, along lines I didn&#039;t get around to thinking of.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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