DOI Artikel:
Suchodolski, Stanisław: Beware, the fraud!: On alleged finds of deniers with the legend GNEZDVN CIVITAS and other coins from the reign of Bolesław the brave
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21230#0307
specimen is indeed identical with the one purchased in Wolfenblittel,
then Bochenek was its owner before Krasicki was, sińce information, as
noted previously, tends to decay over time, and not expand. An addi-
tional argument to the effect that the coin went directly from Krasicki to
Skórzewski is provided by Leleweks letter to the former, given to Czapski
along with the specimen itself by Skórzewski.8 It would appear, then,
that Bochenek indeed sold his collection in Germany shortly after he
had acąuired the uniąue denier of Bolesław the Brave, i.e. between 1854
and 1857, perhaps ca. 1856.
To sum up our reflections to this point, let us attempt to reconstruct
the modern history of this coin. It was discovered in 1854 in Rychnowo.
By unknown routes - through Cappe or directly - it made its way to
Berlin, to Vossberg, who sold it to Bochenek, who then brought it to
Cracow. Bochenek incorporated it into his collection, and then, prior to
March of 1857, took it to Germany along with the rest of his collection.
In Wolfenblittel it was purchased by Krasicki, and then sold to Skórzewski.
Its further history is well documented from that point on. In 1890 the
new owner donated the denier, along with Leleweks letter about it, to
Emeryk Hutten-Czapski for his collection in Stańków. Along with that
collection the coin returned to Cracow and entered the holdings of the
National Museum.
This version, if accepted, clarifies the ąuestion of the number of
Gnezdun civitas deniers in the Rychnowo hoard, and explains why
Bochenek's specimen seems to have disappeared from view. The matter
requires further inąuiry, of course, especially in Germany, and perhaps
in Cracow as well. It may prove possible to explain how information about
the Rychnowo hoard (presumably along with the coin itself, and per-
haps others from this hoard as well) made their way to Vossberg, and
how Bochenek's collection ended up in Wolfenblittel.
The only person to mention a third specimen of the Gnezdun cwitas
type is Marian Gumowski.9 This report, given in a very uncertain man-
ner to begin with, has never been confirmed, either from the Polish side
or the Czech. My own efforts in this respect, undertaken in Prague and
8 Zakrzewski, op. cit.; E. Hutten-Czapski, Catalogue de la collection des medailles et monnaies
polonaisesIV (Cracow 1891), pp. 299 ff., no. 9051.
9 Gumowski, Corpus, p. 25.
307
then Bochenek was its owner before Krasicki was, sińce information, as
noted previously, tends to decay over time, and not expand. An addi-
tional argument to the effect that the coin went directly from Krasicki to
Skórzewski is provided by Leleweks letter to the former, given to Czapski
along with the specimen itself by Skórzewski.8 It would appear, then,
that Bochenek indeed sold his collection in Germany shortly after he
had acąuired the uniąue denier of Bolesław the Brave, i.e. between 1854
and 1857, perhaps ca. 1856.
To sum up our reflections to this point, let us attempt to reconstruct
the modern history of this coin. It was discovered in 1854 in Rychnowo.
By unknown routes - through Cappe or directly - it made its way to
Berlin, to Vossberg, who sold it to Bochenek, who then brought it to
Cracow. Bochenek incorporated it into his collection, and then, prior to
March of 1857, took it to Germany along with the rest of his collection.
In Wolfenblittel it was purchased by Krasicki, and then sold to Skórzewski.
Its further history is well documented from that point on. In 1890 the
new owner donated the denier, along with Leleweks letter about it, to
Emeryk Hutten-Czapski for his collection in Stańków. Along with that
collection the coin returned to Cracow and entered the holdings of the
National Museum.
This version, if accepted, clarifies the ąuestion of the number of
Gnezdun civitas deniers in the Rychnowo hoard, and explains why
Bochenek's specimen seems to have disappeared from view. The matter
requires further inąuiry, of course, especially in Germany, and perhaps
in Cracow as well. It may prove possible to explain how information about
the Rychnowo hoard (presumably along with the coin itself, and per-
haps others from this hoard as well) made their way to Vossberg, and
how Bochenek's collection ended up in Wolfenblittel.
The only person to mention a third specimen of the Gnezdun cwitas
type is Marian Gumowski.9 This report, given in a very uncertain man-
ner to begin with, has never been confirmed, either from the Polish side
or the Czech. My own efforts in this respect, undertaken in Prague and
8 Zakrzewski, op. cit.; E. Hutten-Czapski, Catalogue de la collection des medailles et monnaies
polonaisesIV (Cracow 1891), pp. 299 ff., no. 9051.
9 Gumowski, Corpus, p. 25.
307