A denarius of Ladislaus I Herman from around 1090-1100, the issue of which is attributed to the Wroclaw mint.
The coin was struck as an imitation of Saxon cross denarii.
Obverse: head of St. John the Baptist with standing hair, in front in border.
Reverse: a Greek cross, alternating V●V● in the corners.
Silver, diameter 12 mm, weight 0.83 g.
Ladislaus Herman continued the trends present in the monetary policy of his predecessor, Boleslaus the Bold. First of all, his issues were economic in nature (and not prestigious as, for example, during the reign of Boleslaw the Brave). This is evidenced by the very large number of minted coins. Secondly, the minting of Wladyslaw Herman was basically limited to one type of denarius: the obverse featured the ruler's head and name, while the reverse showed a sacred building and the name of Krakow. This type can be divided into two subtypes (and a host of finer variations). The first, earlier, is characterized by a more careful drawing of the ruler's image and much more elaborate inscriptions. On the structure seen on the reverse, the lower parts of the vertical beam of the crosses are visible. The second subtype is a battered version of the first. The denarii of Wladyslaw Herman were issued by the Cracow mint. The minting of this ruler should also include the denarii of Palatine Sieciech, minted in this period - the first private coins in the history of Polish money. They are also the only example - until the time of the partition - of coins whose issuer was not the ruler.
