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In a showcase with the oldest Polish coins there is an interesting denarius. There is an ongoing dispute among medieval researchers about this seemingly unattractive coin. The denarius was once considered the oldest Polish coin, minted by the first ruler of the Polish country, Mieszko I (approx. 960–992). However, currently most researchers, including the author of the earlier concept, attribute this coin rather to the grandson of Mieszko I, who incidentally bears his name, i.e. the future king Mieszko II Lambert (1025–1034). With the discovery of new treasures of early medieval money and changes in attributions (i.e. determining the place and the date of minting the coin and the issuer) of other coins, some indications emerged suggesting that the coin could have been minted during the reign of Bolesław the Brave (992–1025) by Mieszko Bolesławowic as prince and heir to the throne. As if the situation was not already complicated, some numismatists still opt for earlier attribution, referring to the general appearance of the denarius, its iconography and average weight. The denarius from the NBP collection belongs to the older type according to the prof. Stanisław Suchodolski’s classification. And there would be nothing unusual about this coin if it were not for the fact that on both sides, especially on the obverse, there are some additional elements that are not found on any other of the approximately 40 known specimens.
