Published: 2025-12-23

Once Again on the Oldest Episcopal Coin in Central Europe – Who Was the Issuer: Saint Adalbert, Thieddag or Radim Gaudentius?

Stanisław Suchodolski , Przemysław Nowak
Wiadomości Numizmatyczne
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.23858/WN69.2025.004

Abstract

The subject of the study is an anonymous episcopal coin from the end of the 10th or beginning of the 11th century. It was formerly attributed to the bishop of Prague, Saint Adalbert (983–989, 992–995). The authors, as a result of their analysis of the coin’s typology, inscriptions and finds, conclude that the issuer was Adalbert’s successor on the episcopal capital in Prague, namely Thieddag (998–1017). The issue began in 998 or 999, during the lifetime of Duke Boleslav II (972–999), whose name was read on the reverse of the coin. Thus, the authors question the Luboš Polanský’s recent interpretation of the bishop’s coin. According to this researcher, the issuer was also Bishop Thieddag, but the coins were not minted until 1003–1004, and a place of their issue was not Prague, but Vyšehrad. The authors show that this concept is based on a misreading of the reverse legend and its subsequent interpretation. The sequence of die varieties and the chronology of the finds was also not taken into account.

Keywords:

Bohemia, Saint Adalbert, Bishop Thieddag, Duke Boleslav II, Prague, Vyšehrad, episcopal denarius

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Suchodolski, S., & Nowak, P. (2025). Once Again on the Oldest Episcopal Coin in Central Europe – Who Was the Issuer: Saint Adalbert, Thieddag or Radim Gaudentius?. Wiadomości Numizmatyczne, 69(213), 75–94. https://doi.org/10.23858/WN69.2025.004

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