Notae Numismaticae - Zapiski Numizmatyczne (7.2012)

RADOSŁAW GAZINSKI, GENOWEFA HOROSZKO

side of the torso, lending the figurę a three-dimensional appearance. Such a Griffin
figurę is depicted on the coins of Pyrzyce,41 Stargard,42 Trzebiatów,43 and Wolin.44
The denars of Gartz,45 Pasewalk, Słupsk,46 and Usedom47 depict the representation
of a Griffin in profile passant dexter or sinister, which is morę similar to the earlier
portrayals. In tum, the denars of Demmin,48 Goleniów,49 and Wolgast represent the
Griffin as either passant or rampant.
In the second half of the 14th century, in view of the Hanseatic League’s efforts
to secure a high-quality legał tender, the greatest Hanseatic cities formed mint-
ing unions in order to unify the coinage output and ensure the minting of higher-
value units. In 1365, Tiibeck became the first city to introduce a new monetary
unit, called vitena (with a value eąual to 4 denars), which would have become the
most popular legał tender in circulation within the territories of the Baltic over the
course of a century. In 1379, Liibeck, Hamburg, Luneburg, and Wismar established
the so-called Wendish Monetary Union, based on the mutual agreements madę by
the member cities. In fulfilment of the agreements, the cities were obliged to issue
coins according to the same minting system and with the use of one standardized
stamp. In West Pomerania, the vitena would become disseminated as a result of
the agreement of 1381 concluded by Stralsund, Greifswald, Anklam, Demmin,
Szczecin, Stargard (PI. 1, Fig. 4), and Wolin. The obverses of those units would
always bear the representation of the ducal Griffin passant dexter, whereas the
reverses - the standardized cross with some symbolic elements of the municipal
identification.50
In the early years of the 15th century, a brand-new monetary unit, the vierchen
(Polish: kwartnik) came into circulation on the initiative of Szczecin. Besides the

41 Denars of Pyrzyce: Dbg 219, 220, 222, 223, 225, 226, MNS 5793, 5794, 5797-5799, 5800, 5802, 5804,
5839-5841, 5843, 7674, 7678, 7780, 12137, 12988/1-12988/3.
42 Denars of Stargard: Dbg 236 a, b, c, MNS 3939, 5846, 5851, 5853-5856, 5866, 5874, 5875, 5879, 5880,
5882, 5883, 7110; Dbg 238, MNS 5847, 5852, Dbg 244, MNS 5849, 5884; Dbg 237, MNS, 5497, 5857-5860,
5869,5870, 5872, 5873, 7781, 8816.
43 Denars of Trzebiatów: Dbg 310-313, MNS 5527, 6165-6169, 6172, 6174, 6175, 6177, 6178, 6180-
6184, 6186-6188, 6190-6192, 6777.
44 Denars of Wolin: Dbg 322-326a, 328, 329, MNS 5514, 5515, 6202, 6205, 6207, 6208, 6210.
45 Denars of Gartz: Dbg 201, MNS 5656-5658.
46 Denars of Słupsk: Dbg 258, MNS 5516, 5915, 5917-5922.
47 Denars of Usedom: Dbg 314, 315, 318-320, MNS 6179, 6189, 6193, 6194, 6196-6198, 6200-6201,
7108,7109, 9990, 15016.
48 Denars of Demmin: Dbg 189, 189a, 191, 191 a, MNS 3482, 3551,5638-5641, 5643-5646, 12987, 14130.
49 Denars of Goleniów: Dbg 207, MNS 5673-5674, 5677-5679.
50 The cross image was the result of the advanced measure of the unification of these units within the terri-
tory of the Hanseatic League operations. In some cases, emblems symbolic of the city were placed upon the cross
or between its arms, e.g., the city of Szczecin depicted the Griffin’s head on the cross. The vitena of Demmin:
Dbg 193, MNS 5505, 5652, 5654; Greifswald: Dbg 209, MNS, 5686, 5687, 5689; Stargard: Dbg 242, MNS 5496;
Szczecin: Dbg 250, MNS 5490.