12th and 13th Century Danish Coinage.
Two coins from the rule of Valdemar the Great, 12th Century.
And another from the rule of Valdemar II, 13th Century.
About the Ducat:
“In 1140 AD, Roger II of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, struck a coin in silver known as a ducat. It bore the inscription Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus – Lord, thou rulest this duchy, to thee be it dedicated – thus the name. Little did he know what it was that he had started, for the ducat was to become possibly the single most important coin the world has ever known.
During the Middle Ages, the value of silver coins was constantly changing. This was due to the coins themselves changing. Every time a ruler needed additional funds he would either create or raise taxes – or he would change the coinage by making the coins thinner and of less weight or he would debase the metal content. This was not peculiar to any particular nation or ruler – they all did it from time to time, especially in time of war. And as a result the various other nations and city states would not accept foreign coinage at the values set by the originators of the coinage. Instead, all foreign coinage was assayed and a value set by the nation conducting the assay.”
From Omnicoin.com. Click here.
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