The Earliest Piast Coinage in the Light of Lead Isotope Analyses. A Study of Two Coins of Bolesław the Brave
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/AHP.2024-2025.010Słowa kluczowe
Piast coinage, Bolesław I the Brave, silver, lead isotope analysis (LIA), bullion provenanceAbstrakt
This study presents the results of a pilot investigation into the provenance of silver bullion based on Lead Isotope Analysis (LIA), carried out on two denarii of Bolesław I the Brave (992–1025), including a specimen of the Princes Poloniae type. The results indicate a high probability that the silver used for striking both coins derived from silver-bearing zinc-lead ore deposits located in the Silesia-Kraków Upland region. If confirmed by broader datasets, this would constitute the earliest evidence for the use of silver obtained from local sources in Piast coinage. The findings make a significant contribution to research on the raw material base of early Piast minting. Combined with other recent LIA results, they also allow for a more nuanced reflection on the organisation of bullion supply networks. Further analyses conducted within the framework of the Silvery Dawn. Bullion Economy in the Piast State project will both expand the available source base and refine models of regional metal circulation within the emerging Polish state.
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Prawa autorskie (c) 2026 Ewelina Miśta-Jakubowska, Wojciech Chudziak, Bartłomiej Sz. Szmoniewski, Dariusz Rozmus, Przemysław Prauzel, Tomasz Stolarczyk
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