Serbian medieval coins

Ban Stefan II Kotromanic (Ban of Bosnia 1322-1353)

Silver "helmet" coin. 19mm, 1.4g.

Obverse: Helmet facing left with the shield below. Latin description: STEFANVS • BAN BOSNE (STEFAN BAN BOSNE) around.

Reverse: Christ facing on the high back throne with an arch, holding book of gospels decorated with 3 visible gems. Latin initials: IC - XC (Jesus Christ) in the middle on the side of the throne. Siglas R R, one on each side. Holed.

Reference: Unpublished, compare to J 50-3.1, J 52-5 and R 779.

Comment: Christ throne with an arch and a low IC - XC position are clear differences from usual Serbian depictions. Extremely rare and scarce example of Ban Stefan II Kotromanic. Jovanovic has a very similar coin in his book under reference 52-5 and Dimitrijevic under 408/1 so this coin is unique and unpublished.  

Ban Stefan II Kotromanic was the Bosnian Ban from 1314, and from 1322 to 1353 ban of Lower Land that was ruled by Subic family, together with his brother, Vladislav Kotromanic (1326–1353). He was the son of Bosnian Ban Stefan I Kotromanic and Elizabeth, daughter of King Stefan Dragutin Nemanjic, sister of King Stefan Vladislav II.

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 2 Serbian unclesking Stefan Vladislav II (1280-1326, king 1321-1324) and king Stefan Uros III Decanski (1276-1331, king 1321-1331).

He ruled the lands from Sava to the Adriatic Sea and from Cetina to Drina river.  

After his death September 13th 1353 he was buried in his Franciscan monastery in Mile, near Visoko, Bosnia.

These coins are rarest of all medieval Bosnia coins!

Ban Stefan II Kotromanic (Ban of Bosnia 1322-1353)

Silver "sword" coin. 20mm, 1.31g.

Obverse: Ban wearing full body armor, seating on the low bench throne, facing and holding sword with both hands. Latin description: STEFA N BAN • (STEFAN BAN) around. 2 triple dotted pellets, one on each side of the throne. 

Reverse: Christ seating on the high back throne, facing and holding book of gospels decorated with 3 visible gems. Latin initials: IC - XC (Jesus Christ) above. 2 triple dotted pellets, one on each side of the throne. 

Reference: J 50-6.1, J 52-11.

Comment: Lovely example with amazing patina and detail.

As soon as Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin died in 1321, he had acquired his lands of Usora and Soli, which he fully incorporated in 1324. He helped his uncle Vladislav of Srem to regain all Serbia, but after the fall of Ostrvica at Rudnik at the hands of Stefan Decanski, there was no more point in supporting him during the struggles for the Serbian throne, so he took Usora and Soli for himself. This would lead to Stefan II Kotromanic war against his uncle Decanski several years later.

When his uncle kingVladislav II died, he gained some parts of his realm of Srem.

Only 9 registered examples.

Ban Stefan II Kotromanic (Ban of Bosnia 1322-1353)

Silver "sword" coin. 18mm, 1.29g.

Obverse: Ban wearing full body armor, seating on the low bench throne, facing and holding sword with both hands. Latin description: STEFA N BAN BS N (STEFAN BAN BOSNE) around. Holed.

Reverse: Saint Blasius standing, facing, blessing with his right hand and in his left holding crozier, long staff. Latin description: S BLASIV S RAGVSI (SAINT BLASIUS RAGUSA) around. 

Reference: J 50-9, J 52-14, R 815.

Comment: After fighting with Stefan Uros III Decanski Ban Stefan II Kotromanic was contemporary to his son Serbian king and later emperor Stefan Uros IV Dušan (1331-1355). He became ban 9 years before Dušan became king and died 2 years before Dušan died as a emperor. 

An arranged marriage was made between Ban Stefan II brother, Vladislav and the sister of Ban of Croatia Mladen III Šubić, Jelena Šubić in 1338 in Klis Fortress. Mladen III Šubić wife was Jelena Nemanjić, sister of the Serbian King Stefan Dušan, so this created a strong dynastic alliance of three families: the Nemanjić, the Kotromanić and the Šubić.

He was succeeded by his underage nephew Tvrtko, son of his brother Vladislav, with Vladislav governing in Tvrtko name.

Only 6 registered examples.

Ban Stefan II Kotromanic (Ban of Bosnia 1322-1353)

Silver "helmet" coin. 20mm, 1.14g.

Obverse: Ban enthroned facing, holding sword with both hands over his lap. Latin description: STEFA N BAN BS (STEFAN BAN BOSNE) around.

Reverse: Christ facing on the high back throne, both hands raised, on the side book of gospels decorated with 4 gems. Latin initials: IC - XC (Jesus Christ) above. Sigla X on the left side. 4 triple dotted pellets around the throne.

Reference: Unpublished, compare to J 52 10.1-12, R 783, 792 and 798.

Comment: Very similar to Dusan "sword" types but with few clues that makes us think its not Dusan. First there is a + sign on the left. On Dusan examples there is dot or continues description. Ruler is presented with a tin body and dots as a decorations on his arms and a single dot at the end of the swords handle. Jesus head and straight hair is very similar to J 52 12, R 798.

There exists no data when Ban Stefan started minting coins. But examples above and this example show that he did harmonize weight and copied design of the more important neighbor Serbia and Raska, emperor Dusan coins.

Copyright © 2020