[MR] History Blog: Bracteate Coin Hoard from Poland

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Here's another recent History Blog story I initially passed up, but want to
call to your attention today. It concerns a Polish hoard of 13th century
bracteate coins which were actually found by a curious dog:
http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63907 .

"And what is a bracteate coin?" you ask. Good question. They were coins
made on the cheap, which were stamped on only one side on thin sheet metal.
Think of them as the paper dollar of their day. They are rather rare, as
they were easy to melt down and restrike when they became worn. The
bracteate process was also used to make inexpensive jewelry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracteate .

So why is this useful to Scadians? Well, some of our tribe are interested
in striking or casting replica/faux coins. Bracteates are much simpler
coins to make, and take only one strike. They are just the sort of thing to
make for an entry token to an event, as opposed to casting a pewter token.
And they are one more way for us to have fun and learn about the past.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆