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Średniowieczne brakteaty z daru Albina hrabiego Węsierskiego w zbiorach British Museum w Londynie

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Linetty J.

Studia Lednickie

2019

vol. 18

245-270

The article is devoted to the history of eleven medieval bracteates, donated to the collection of the British Museum in 1873 by the Polish nobleman and collector, Count Albin Węsierski. The bracteates constitute a small part of the treasure of coins discovered in October 1872 in Głębokie village, Kiszkowo municipality, Gniezno county, Wielkopolskie voivodeship. Soon after the discovery of the first coins, Węsierski arrived at the site and found a further several dozens of pieces and a ceramic vessel. Węsierski informed the public about the discoveries in Głębokie in “Dziennik Poznański” on the 12th October 1872. Ignacy Polkowski, the priest, a historian and a numismatist, was affected by this information and after several days arrived in Głębokie, gathered the remaining coins that had been dispersed among the people and estate owners and elaborated on them in the book entitled Wykopalisko Głębockie średniowiecznych monet polskich, which was published in 1876. Then, this part of the treasure, which was collected by Polkowski, was divided: a part of it was given to the collection of The Poznań Society for the Advancement of Arts and Science (Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk Poznańskiego), part to the collection of the Skórzewscy Earls in Lubostronie, part to the collection of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil in Switzerland, and a part remained with the heir to the property Piotr Radoński. The destiny of the part of the treasure taken by Węsierski was different. This was included into his collection gathered in the palace in Zakrzewo near Kłeck and sometimes called the Zakrzewo museum. In the beginning of 1873 Węsierski hosted John Baker Greene in Zakrzewo, a reporter with the London newspaper “The Morning Post”. As a result of this visit a reportage about Zakrzewo and Węsierski was published in this London newspaper in January 1873 (fi g. 2). Baker Greene marvelled at the presence of the old English numismates discovered in Poland, which could be seen in the Węsierski collection. Probably during the visit of the English reporter to Zakrzewo, the idea to donate several Polish numismates from the Albin Węsierski collection to the collection of the British Museum arose. Eventually the count donated 11 medieval Piast bracteates from the treasure in Głębokie (fig. 1). The details of the donation of the collection are known due to preserved archive materials. A letter of thanks written on 23rd March 1873 by John Winter Jones, the Principal Librarian of the British Museum is the most important one (fig. 8). This letter is currently kept in the collection of Kórnik Library. A letter from 21st March 1873 written by Reginald Stuart Poole, the director of the department of coins and medals, to the management of the museum is preserved in the collection of the British Museum (fig. 7). The letter informs about the coins, which are described by the sender as rare, and about the grantor and the origins of the coins. Th e original entry in the inventory book in the British Museum (fig. 3), which included information about the grantor and the location of the finding together with a concise description of the coins as well as sketches of the two coins and Latin lettering from one of them, have also been preserved (fi g. 4–6). This entry provides information that Piast bracteates from the Węsierski donation were included in the collection of the London Museum already on 5th March 1873. Unfortunately, none of the letters from Węsierski, which accompanied the gift , were preserved. Probably this was due to the fact that John Baker Greene was an intermediary in the coin donation. In the light of the obtained information, the letter from the “The Morning Post” correspondent written in March 1873, was handed over to John Stuart by the museum secretary Thomas Butler. Unfortunately this letter has not been preserved to the present day. The coins donated by Albin Węsierski consist of the collection of 11 Piast bracteates, i.e. thin coins of a small size, minted on one side. The majority of them (nine pieces) belong to the bracteates of prince Mieszko III the Old, whereas in the case of two pieces the issuer remains undefined (fi g. 1, no. 8 and 10). There are pieces with Latin lettering, Hebrew lettering, without lettering and imitative among them. Two of them have Latin lettering with the name of the prince MESICO (fig. 1, no. 1) or partly preserved […] ESCO (fig. 1, no. 2). Four pieces of bracteates with Hebrew lettering carry the BRACHA inscription, which means blessing (fig. 1, no. 4, 5, 7, 11). There are imitative signs which imitate Hebrew inscriptions on three coins (fig. 1, no. 3, 6, 9). Two pieces without inscriptions (fig. 1, no. 8, 10) have interesting iconography. The images present a prince with various attributes and a bishop. Among these coins there is also a piece which probably depicts St. Maurice (fig. 1, no. 8). Most of the described coins come from the times of the reign of prince Mieszko III the Old, in the second half of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century.

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1 Studia Lednickie

1 Linetty J.

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Średniowieczne brakteaty z daru Albina hrabiego Węsierskiego w zbiorach British Museum w Londynie