Rare Silesian bracteate from the Rataj group, issued during the reign of Heinrich the Bearded and Heinrich the Pious. Struck in an unknown mint, most likely in Breslau.
The iconography of this coin is quite enigmatic and has been discussed in the literature for years. The iconographic motif presented on this bracteate was studied by Witold Garbaczewski in his doctoral dissertation "Iconography of Piast coins 1173–approx. 1280" , Warszawa 2007, p. 265. This numismatist from Poznań interpreted this representation as spreading circles of light in reference to the Prologue of the Gospel according to St. John.
The latest findings about this representation and the genesis of this iconography recently returned to the discussion about this representation in an article published in Wiadomości Numismatics, entitled Silesian (Ratai) bracteate with the representation of circles of light - genesis of the image , Vol. LXIII, 2019, issue 207, pp. 139-149.
Silesia, Duchy of Breslau, Heinrich the Bearded or Heinrich II the Pious (1238-1241), Rataj bracteate ca. 1220-1240
Obverse: dome under a radial arch, below is an imitation inscription
Diameter 19 mm, weight 0.19 g
