DOI article:
Paszkiewicz, Borys: The Sicilian design on the Opole coin and the genesis of the white eagle
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21230#0344
raldic eagle,13 at least in view of the known sources to date. This was
done by him at the latest in 1222, or possibly even in 1217. Władysław
himself, like his elder brother Mieszek, did not initially use the eagle,
which has been explained by Małgorzata Kaganiec as due to their having
been removed in their inheritance from their father by Henryk I the
Bearded.14 These explanations have undermined the most recent re-
search by Jerzy Rajman, who opposes the suggestion that the Opole
juniors were removed from their inheritance.15 Moveover, after the broth-
ers returned to Opole they did not reinstate the eagle. Only in the years
1257-1260 did Władysław in his pedestrian and eąuestrian seals appear
with an escutcheon adorned with an eagle.16 This is probably connected
with the appearance of the eagle in the symbolism of St. Stanislaus,17 in
whose canonisation process18 and solemn translation on May 8, 1254,
the Duke of Opole personally participated. Hence the appearance of
the eagle on Władysław's coin is not surprising. This ruler used the sym-
bol in a shape which was at least protoheraldic. However, what is to be
made of the profile of the human head clearly visible in the bottom part
of the impression? The inscription around suggests that this is Duke
Władysław.
Just such an iconographic scheme can be met in the second ąuarter of
the 13th century on southern German coins from the royal mint at Ulm
in Swabia (fig. 2), and Enns in Austria.19 The human face en face and
topped with a clearly visible crown on the first coin relates, probably, to
the emperor Frederick II or his son Conrad IV, although some suggest
13 Z. Piech, Ikonografia pieczęci Piastów (The Iconography of the Piasts' Seals), Kraków
1993, pp. 78, 244-245, no. 83.
14 M. Kaganiec, Heraldyka Piastów Śląskich 1146-1707 (The Heraldryof the Silesian Piasts
1146-1707), Katowice 1992, p. 41.
15 J. Rajman, Mieszko II..., p. 37.
16 Z. Piech, Ikonografia..., pp. 246-247, nos. 88-89.
17 M. Kaganiec, Orzeł Śląski a Orzeł Biały - wzajemne relacje (The Silesian Eagle and the
White Eagle - Mutual Relations), [in:] Orzeł Biały. Herb państwa polskiego (The White Eagle.
The Coat of Arms of the Polish State), Warszawa 1996, p. 54.
18 Wincenty z Kielczy, Żywot większy świętego Stanisława (Vita maior Sancti Stanislai), [in:]
Średniowieczne żywoty i cuda patronów Polski (The Medieval Vitae and the Miracles of Poland's
Patrons) published byj. Pleziowa, M. Plezia, Warszawa 1987, p. 298: the testimony of Duke
Władysław concerning his miraculous cure.
19 W. Kopicki, Monety z napisem '[UJLADIZLAUS' (Coins with the Inscription '[U]LADI-
ZLAUS'), WN, XXXIX, 1995, booklet 1-2, pp. 78-80.
344
done by him at the latest in 1222, or possibly even in 1217. Władysław
himself, like his elder brother Mieszek, did not initially use the eagle,
which has been explained by Małgorzata Kaganiec as due to their having
been removed in their inheritance from their father by Henryk I the
Bearded.14 These explanations have undermined the most recent re-
search by Jerzy Rajman, who opposes the suggestion that the Opole
juniors were removed from their inheritance.15 Moveover, after the broth-
ers returned to Opole they did not reinstate the eagle. Only in the years
1257-1260 did Władysław in his pedestrian and eąuestrian seals appear
with an escutcheon adorned with an eagle.16 This is probably connected
with the appearance of the eagle in the symbolism of St. Stanislaus,17 in
whose canonisation process18 and solemn translation on May 8, 1254,
the Duke of Opole personally participated. Hence the appearance of
the eagle on Władysław's coin is not surprising. This ruler used the sym-
bol in a shape which was at least protoheraldic. However, what is to be
made of the profile of the human head clearly visible in the bottom part
of the impression? The inscription around suggests that this is Duke
Władysław.
Just such an iconographic scheme can be met in the second ąuarter of
the 13th century on southern German coins from the royal mint at Ulm
in Swabia (fig. 2), and Enns in Austria.19 The human face en face and
topped with a clearly visible crown on the first coin relates, probably, to
the emperor Frederick II or his son Conrad IV, although some suggest
13 Z. Piech, Ikonografia pieczęci Piastów (The Iconography of the Piasts' Seals), Kraków
1993, pp. 78, 244-245, no. 83.
14 M. Kaganiec, Heraldyka Piastów Śląskich 1146-1707 (The Heraldryof the Silesian Piasts
1146-1707), Katowice 1992, p. 41.
15 J. Rajman, Mieszko II..., p. 37.
16 Z. Piech, Ikonografia..., pp. 246-247, nos. 88-89.
17 M. Kaganiec, Orzeł Śląski a Orzeł Biały - wzajemne relacje (The Silesian Eagle and the
White Eagle - Mutual Relations), [in:] Orzeł Biały. Herb państwa polskiego (The White Eagle.
The Coat of Arms of the Polish State), Warszawa 1996, p. 54.
18 Wincenty z Kielczy, Żywot większy świętego Stanisława (Vita maior Sancti Stanislai), [in:]
Średniowieczne żywoty i cuda patronów Polski (The Medieval Vitae and the Miracles of Poland's
Patrons) published byj. Pleziowa, M. Plezia, Warszawa 1987, p. 298: the testimony of Duke
Władysław concerning his miraculous cure.
19 W. Kopicki, Monety z napisem '[UJLADIZLAUS' (Coins with the Inscription '[U]LADI-
ZLAUS'), WN, XXXIX, 1995, booklet 1-2, pp. 78-80.
344