TYPE Medieval Serbia, Nobleman Vuk Brankovic (1371-1389), silver dinar under moneyer Jakov
DESCRIPTION .
Obv: Nobleman Vuk standing facing, bareheaded with banner and loros, Cyrillic legend VLK VLK around
Rev: Christ enthroned
REFERENCE: J 113, Jov 33-26
GRADING: AVF / VF, uneven strike, toned
ORDER INFO: S1390, $60
The legendary Judas-like traitor of the epic 1389 Battle of Kosovo that pitted Christian armies against the invading Ottoman Turks. Historically, as Prince Lazar's son-in-law and ally, Vuk commanded the flank of the Serbian army, and was its most prominent Christian survivor - which may have, along with his jockeying for power in the battle's anarchic aftermath - prompted such a harsh reaction from epic tradition. Additional insight into these troubled times may be gleaned from the politics of coin minting, which became highly decentralized in the disintegrating Serbian empire. Some of Vuk's issues show Lazar as suzerain, others do not, and some indicate they were minted for him by yet other vassals - petty noblemen or named moneyers - as is the case here with the otherwise historically unknown Jakov.