Serbian medieval coins

BanTvrtko I (Ban of Bosnia 1353-1377)

Silver "sword" coin. 17mm, 0.632g.

Obverse: Crowned ban enthroned facing, dressed in the full body armor, holding sword over lap, Latin legend: TVERT CO BAN (Ban Tvrtko) around.

Reverse: Christ facing on high-back throne, holding book of gospels, Latin legend: IC - XC (Jesus Christ) above. 4 triple pellets around the throne.

Reference: Jov. 53-1, R 825.

Comment: Extremely rare and scarce example of Tvrtko I as a Ban. Jovanovic only has a drawing of this coin in his book. Born in 1338 he was only 14 when he became Ban. He was crowned as a king in 1377 in Serbian Monastery, most likely Mileseva.  Mavro Orbini 16th century Ragusa or Dubrovnik historian confirmed this in his book.

Marko son of Vukasin Mrnjavcevic had the same title and his crowning was not disputed by Prince Lazar, Vuk Brankovic or Balsic Family. During ceremony according to tradition he took for his official name the Serbian title Stefan, which was used by all Serbian kings and later repeated by all his heirs.  Tvrtko I sent a considerable force to help Prince Lazar at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 but didn't fight himself.

There are only 2 registered examples.

Ban Tvrtko I (Ban of Bosnia 1353-1377)

Silver "sword" coin. 16mm, 0.9g.

Obverse: Crowned ban enthroned facing, dressed in the full body armor, holding sword over lap, Latin legend: TVERT CO BAN (Ban Tvrtko) around.

Reverse: Christ facing on high-back throne, holding book of gospels, Latin legend: IC - XC (Jesus Christ) above. 4 triple pellets around the throne.

Reference: Jov. 53-1, R 825.

Comment: Extremely rare and scarce example of Tvrtko I as a Ban.

His mother was Elizabeth of Serbia (1270-1331) so his great grandad was Serbian king Stefan Dragutin Nemanjic (1244-1316, king 1276-1282). He also had 3 strong uncles Serbian king Stefan Vladislav II (1280-1326, king 1321-1324), Serbian king Stefan Uros III Decanski (1276-1331, king 1321-1331) and Ban Stefan II Kotromanic (Ban of Bosnia 1322-1353). Interestingly his grandmother Elizabeth of Serbia gave his father her brothers name Vladislav.

Serbian emperor Stefan Uros V Nemanjic died in 1371. 6 years later Tvrtko I is being crowned in Serbian monastery, taking Serbian Nemanjic crown and in addition to Bosnia where he was a ban, he takes over two parts of former Serbian Empire, Coastal side and Western side. Other parts were ruled by Lazar Hrebeljanovic, Moravian Serbia and Vuk Brankovic, Raska and Duklja. As a grandson of Serbian king Stefan Dragutin Nemanjic he had legal right to inherit Nemanjic crown.

He suddenly died at the age of 53 in March 17th 1391.

There are only 2 registered examples.

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