Hungary. Duke Géza (Duke, 1064-1074; King, 1074-1077). Huszár 18; Tóth-Kiss 8.1 sigla b5.5/7; Unger 12; Réthy I 23; Frynas H.7.1; Lengyel 7/1; Adamovszky A28v3; Kovács pp.124-126

Hungary. Duke Géza (Duke, 1064-1074; King, 1074-1077).

AR denomination unknown (per Huszár and Adamovszky) or denár (per Tóth-Kiss, Unger, Frynas, Lengyel, Kovács and Gyöngyössy) (average .70 g, 17-19 mm.); .76 g., 18.72 mm. max., 0°

Obv: + DVX MVONVS or MAGNVS, Cross.

Rev: + PANONAI (decaying legend, with the P shaped as a D), Cross with wedges

The obverse legend is deciphered either as + DVX MVONAS (per Huszár, Frynas, Kovács and Gyöngyössy) or + DVX MAGNVS (per Réthy). The former interpretation deciphers all A/V letters consistently as inscribed (so that the fifth letter is a V and the eighth is an A) and assumes that the sixth letter is an O. The latter interpretation inverts the second and third A/V letters (so that the fifth letter is an A and the eighth is a V), and assumes that the sixth letter is a G. Tóth-Kiss and Kovács explain that Magnus was the Christian given name of Géza. According to Adamovszky, the standard legend reads MVONAS but there is a variety in which it reads MAGNVS.

Struck in Esztergom, 1064-1074 (per Gyöngyössy, whose dating has not been accepted by later catalogers and appears to be speculative).

From 1048-1074 a third of the kingdom was ruled by the duke, who issued autonomous coinage on a heavier weight standard than the royal coinage. Upon becoming king, the weight of his coinage was reduced to the royal standard.

Huszár rarity 6, Toth-Kiss rarity 120, Unger rarity 30, Frynas rarity N.