DOI issue:
Artykuły/Articles
DOI article:Tunia, Krzysztof; Woźniak, Mateusz: Coins from an Early-Medieval Burial Ground in Stręgoborzyce, Krakow District
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.57341#0230
KRZYSZTOF TUNIA, MATEUSZ WOŹNIAK
228
German and Moravian coins of the types presented here.22 Meanwhile, cross pennies
from the second half of the 11th century are known from numerous single and burial
finds from Krakow and its environs, including the deposit on the southern side of
the Vistula from Grobla, Bochnia District, which is dated to after 1063 and which is
a similar distance from Stręgoborzyce and the hoard from Krakow-Pleszów.23 While
it is true that no example has been recorded of a reduced penny of Bretislav II from
any of the series struck after 1050, we do know of issues of rulers coming after him
and representing the same weight standard, i.e. that of Spytihnev (1055-1061) and
Vratislas II (1061-1086), from the hoards in Grobla and Pińczów, respectively.24
Much the same is true of the issues of Boleslaus the Bold. Although they
circulated throughout the whole of Poland, which is evidenced by finds - including
burial finds - from Silesia, Mazovia, central Poland, and Greater Poland, most of
the coins of this ruler have been found in Lesser Poland and are concentrated in
lands along the left bank of the Vistula from Krakow to Sandomierz.25
It is noticeable that the burial ground in Stręgoborzyce has no issues of
Vladislaus I Herman, which are also - though not frequently - recorded in burial
finds26 and appear in quite large numbers between Krakow and Wiślica.27 That this is
the case may be a result of their having been of better quality in relation to the coin
issues of Boleslaus the Bold and a concomitant reluctance to get rid of them, even
when it came to the noble aim of offering a gift to the dead.
The situation with regard to the pennies of Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed and
Vladislaus II the Exile is a little different. They are practically never found in Krakow
itself or in its closest environs except for one coin of Vladislaus II the Exile from
Krakow-Pleszów.28 This recently became the reason why attempts were made to
negate the idea that they were struck in the Krakow mint and to prove that they were
produced in Wiślica.29 It must be emphasized that Krakow is exceptionally poor when
it comes to finds of coins from 1102-1300.30 That this is so may, of course, have to
22 REYMAN-WALCZAK et AL 2013: 62, no. 46.
23 Ibidem'. 43, no. 6.
24 Ibidem: 43, no. 26 and 131, no. 76
25 SUCHODOLSKI 2018: 73-75.
26 REYMAN-WALCZAK et AL 2013: 86-87, no. 60 (Lublin IV); 152-154, no. 104 (Wawrzeńczyce - here
it is mistakenly described as finds from a settlement); 159, no. 109 (Wiślica IV).
27 This comment concerns the basic type that comes from the Krakow mint (STRONCZYNSKI 1883: Type
35). Attempts are currently being made to attribute some types of cross pennies to Vladislaus I Herman - those
that mainly appear in Greater Poland. See KĘDZIERSKI 2010: 255-262; NAKIELSKI 2013: 56-57, 69-71.
28 REYMAN et AL 2013: 77, no. 47 (Kraków IX).
29 ŚNIEŻKO 2018: 105.
30 Up until now, only 20 have been recorded. See KUBIAK 1998: 26-27; two 13th-century coins from
the church of St. Benedict (unpublished, in a study by M. Woźniak). The fact that coins obtained as a result of
archaeological works have not been published also has an effect on this meager state of things.
228
German and Moravian coins of the types presented here.22 Meanwhile, cross pennies
from the second half of the 11th century are known from numerous single and burial
finds from Krakow and its environs, including the deposit on the southern side of
the Vistula from Grobla, Bochnia District, which is dated to after 1063 and which is
a similar distance from Stręgoborzyce and the hoard from Krakow-Pleszów.23 While
it is true that no example has been recorded of a reduced penny of Bretislav II from
any of the series struck after 1050, we do know of issues of rulers coming after him
and representing the same weight standard, i.e. that of Spytihnev (1055-1061) and
Vratislas II (1061-1086), from the hoards in Grobla and Pińczów, respectively.24
Much the same is true of the issues of Boleslaus the Bold. Although they
circulated throughout the whole of Poland, which is evidenced by finds - including
burial finds - from Silesia, Mazovia, central Poland, and Greater Poland, most of
the coins of this ruler have been found in Lesser Poland and are concentrated in
lands along the left bank of the Vistula from Krakow to Sandomierz.25
It is noticeable that the burial ground in Stręgoborzyce has no issues of
Vladislaus I Herman, which are also - though not frequently - recorded in burial
finds26 and appear in quite large numbers between Krakow and Wiślica.27 That this is
the case may be a result of their having been of better quality in relation to the coin
issues of Boleslaus the Bold and a concomitant reluctance to get rid of them, even
when it came to the noble aim of offering a gift to the dead.
The situation with regard to the pennies of Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed and
Vladislaus II the Exile is a little different. They are practically never found in Krakow
itself or in its closest environs except for one coin of Vladislaus II the Exile from
Krakow-Pleszów.28 This recently became the reason why attempts were made to
negate the idea that they were struck in the Krakow mint and to prove that they were
produced in Wiślica.29 It must be emphasized that Krakow is exceptionally poor when
it comes to finds of coins from 1102-1300.30 That this is so may, of course, have to
22 REYMAN-WALCZAK et AL 2013: 62, no. 46.
23 Ibidem'. 43, no. 6.
24 Ibidem: 43, no. 26 and 131, no. 76
25 SUCHODOLSKI 2018: 73-75.
26 REYMAN-WALCZAK et AL 2013: 86-87, no. 60 (Lublin IV); 152-154, no. 104 (Wawrzeńczyce - here
it is mistakenly described as finds from a settlement); 159, no. 109 (Wiślica IV).
27 This comment concerns the basic type that comes from the Krakow mint (STRONCZYNSKI 1883: Type
35). Attempts are currently being made to attribute some types of cross pennies to Vladislaus I Herman - those
that mainly appear in Greater Poland. See KĘDZIERSKI 2010: 255-262; NAKIELSKI 2013: 56-57, 69-71.
28 REYMAN et AL 2013: 77, no. 47 (Kraków IX).
29 ŚNIEŻKO 2018: 105.
30 Up until now, only 20 have been recorded. See KUBIAK 1998: 26-27; two 13th-century coins from
the church of St. Benedict (unpublished, in a study by M. Woźniak). The fact that coins obtained as a result of
archaeological works have not been published also has an effect on this meager state of things.