Serbian medieval coins

Nobleman Balsa III Balsic Djurdjevic Stracimirovic (Ruler of Zeta 1403-1421)

Silver "wolf helmet" coin. 18mm, 0.766g. Bar mint.

Obverse: Balsic family coat of arms. Crowned helmet facing to the left crested with wolfs head. At the bottom of the helmet is a shield with a head of a wolf in the middle of it. Latin legend around: m BΛLSE D GORGI • (MONETA BALSE DOMINI GEORGE - MONEY BALSE LORD DJURADJ). Big star on the right.

Reverse: St Laurentius standing facing in mandorla holding a vigil lamp or a cresset in his right hand and a book of Gospels in his left. Latin legend: • m SVINE RVΛLS ⛬ (SAINT LAURENTIUS or SAINT LAWRENCE) around. 

Reference: Unpublished, compare to D 290 10.

Comment: Extremely rare coin with a lovely patina, very well preserved and detailed. 

Saint name is upside down. Instead of S LΛVR ENCIVS right to left, it reads M SVINE RVΛLS. Interesting curled legs of the wolf and a very large head for a coin that is 2mm smaller then example below.

Nobleman Djuradj II Balsic Stracimirovic was a member of the Balšić noble family, he was 4th ruler of Zeta before his son Balša III Stracimirović ruled as a 5th and the last ruler from April 1403 to April 1421. 

Nobleman Balsa III Balsic Djurdjevic Stracimirovic (Ruler of Zeta 1403-1421)

Silver "wolf helmet" coin. 20mm, 1.068g. Bar mint.

Obverse: Balsic family coat of arms. Crowned helmet facing to the left crested with wolfs head. At the bottom of the helmet is a shield with a head of a wolf in the middle of it. Latin legend around: m BΛLS • E D • GORGI (MONETA BALSE DOMINI GEORGE - MONEY BALSE LORD DJURADJ). Big star on the right.

Reverse: St Laurentius standing facing in mandorla holding a vigil lamp or a cresset in his right hand and a book of Gospels in his left. Latin legend: • S LΛVR ENCIVS • (SAINT LAURENTIUS or SAINT LAWRENCE) around. 

Reference: D 288 3, R. Maric (Studije iz Srpske Numizmatike page 100, type IV/1,T, LX, no3/4), Museum of Nis page 364, no94.

Comment: Extremely rare coin with a lovely yellow/green patina, very well preserved and detailed. Holed.

In April 1403, he was only seventeen when he became the ruler of Zeta when his father died as a result of the injuries he had suffered at the Battle of Tripolje. 

Nobleman Balsa III Balsic Djurdjevic Stracimirovic (Ruler of Zeta 1403-1421)

Silver "wolf helmet" coin. 20mm, 1.006g. Bar mint.

Obverse: Balsic family coat of arms. Crowned helmet facing to the left crested with wolfs head. At the bottom of the helmet isa shield with a head of a wolf in the middle of it. Latin legend around: m BΛLS E : D : GORG (MONETA BALSE DOMINI GEORGE - MONEY BALSE LORD DJURADJ). Big star on the right.

Reverse: St Laurentius standing facing in mandorla holding a vigil lamp or a cresset in his right hand and a book of Gospels in his left. Latin legend: S : LΛVR ENCIVS ⛬ . (SAINT LAURENTIUS or SAINT LAWRENCE) around. 

Reference: Jov 24 12, J 24 9, D 288 6, I 29.1, Lj XIV-6.

Comment: Extremely rare coin with a lovely dark patina, cracked but very well preserved and detailed. 

His mother was Jelena Lazarević also known, by marriages, as Jelena Balšić or Jelena Kosača. She was a medieval Serbian princess, daughter of Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic of Serbia. She was born in 1366, in Prilepac and died 1443, Beška, Montenegro, 40 years after her husbands death and 22 years after her sons death in Belgrade 28th April 1421. Before his death and under the influence of his mother, he passed the rule of Zeta to his uncle, Despot Stefan Lazarević.

23 registered examples.

Nobleman Balsa III Balsic Djurdjevic Stracimirovic (Ruler of Zeta 1403-1421)

Silver "wolf helmet" coin. 19mm, 0.875g. Bar mint.

Obverse: Balsic family coat of arms. Crowned helmet facing to the left crested with wolfs head. At the bottom of the helmet is a shield with a head of a wolf in the middle of it. Latin legend: m BΛLS E D GORI (MONETA BALSE DOMINI GEORGE - MONEY BALSE LORD DJURADJ) around. Big star on the right.

Reverse: St Laurentius standing facing in mandorla holding a vigil lamp or a cresset in his right hand and a book of Gospels in his left. Latin legend: ⛬ S LΛVR ENEIVS ⛬ (SAINT LAURENTIUS or SAINT LAWRENCE) around. 2 dots on the bottom under saint feet.

Reference: D 290 5, Lj XIV 7.

Comment: Extremely rare coin with a lovely patina, very well preserved and detailed. 

Different wolf image from examples above and interestingly that same image is also on the shield.

Nobleman Balsa III Balsic Djurdjevic Stracimirovic (Ruler of Zeta 1403-1421)

Silver "wolf helmet" coin. 13mm, 0.558g. Bar mint.

Obverse: Balsic family coat of arms. Crowned helmet facing to the left crested with wolfs head. At the bottom of the helmet is a shield with a head of a wolf in the middle of it. Latin legend around: m BΛLS ........ (MONETA BALSE DOMINI GEORGE - MONEY BALSE LORD DJURADJ). Big star on the right.

Reverse: St Laurentius standing facing in mandorla holding a vigil lamp or a cresset in his right hand and a book of Gospels in his left. Latin legend: ...... ENCIVS (SAINT LAURENTIUS or SAINT LAWRENCE) around. 

Reference: D 288 3, R. Maric (Studije iz Srpske Numizmatike page 100, type IV/1,T, LX, no3/4), Museum of Nis page 364, no94.

Comment: Extremely rare coin with a lovely patina, broken with other half missing, still coat of arms with wolf and saint mostly visible.

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