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Huszár 569 var., Pohl 114-4 var., Unger 443d var., Réthy II 116 var., Frynas H.26.4 var., cf. Rupp 43/9
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Hungary. Maria/Mária (1382-1387 solo reign; 1387-1395 with husband Sigismund/Zsigmond of Luxembourg)
AR denar, .40 g., 14.08 mm. max, 180°
Obv: + mOnETA • mARIA • [antiqua-style letters A without interior bar], Open crown with CM below
Rev: ...OnETA ... [antiqua-style letters A without interior bar; double-struck], Patriarchal cross
As both sides carry a titular legend, there is no consensus regarding obverse and reverse. The fullest legend on the side identified by Huszár and Pohl as the obverse (the side with the crown) is + mARIE D G R VnGARIE (although most coins are missing at least the first G). The fullest legend on the side identified by Unger, Réthy, Frynas and Gyöngyössy as the obverse (the side with the patriarchal cross) is + mOnETA mARIE R V. Since the letters R V are so often omitted from the cross side, Toma accepts the crown side as the obverse.
The standard Huszár 569 was struck in 1384-1395 (per Huszár, with Unger and Frynas agreeing that it incepted in 1384) or in 1385-1395 (per Pohl), and is traditionally viewed as the last of three denarii struck by Maria. More recently, it has been viewed as the second type struck by her (after Huszár 565 and before Huszár 566), in 1383-1385 (per Gyöngyössi and Toma). This coin, with a Cm below the crown, was struck in Körmöcbánya/Kremnitz (now Kremnica, Slovakia) by Johannes Craczer in 1385 (per Pohl).
Toma notes fifteen legend variations among 45 coins of the standard type within the Cluj-Mănăştur Hoard, found in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (formerly, Kolozsvár, Hungary), in 1934. They differ mainly in terms of completeness of legends, spelling of the queen's name, presence of pellets, and the styles of the letter A. Toma lists two variations among five coins with a Cm mark (Pohl 114-4).
Toma further notes four versions of the crown and four versions of the patriarchal cross on the standard type. There are six obverse/reverse design combinations appearing among 41 coins in the hoard, only one of which, Toma A/b, appears among four coins with a Cm mark (Pohl 114-4). This coin appears to bear the A/b combination.
Huszár/Pohl rarity rating 5. Due to the double-striking of the cross side of this coin, most of the legend is undecipherable. From the few letters that can be discerned, that side, like the crown side, appears to read, + mOnETA mARIA (or a variant). If so, this coin is a variation of the type not described/depicted in Huszár and Pohl, Unger and Réthy, or Frynas, nor by Toma. It is, however, recorded by Rupp.
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