Bolesław the Brave's Arrow Denarius

The silver arrow denarius comes from a hoard discovered in Kalisz-Rajsków in 1992. It was struck under Bolesław the Brave after 992, probably in Poznań. It belongs to the earliest issues of Polish coinage.

The obverse carries a sign resembling an arrow formed from six branches. This gave the coin its modern name. Around it is the inscription BOLIZLAVO DUX, giving Bolesław's name and his title of duke. The inscription identifies the ruler in whose name the coin was issued; it is not the signature of its maker.

A Greek cross decorates the reverse. The two sides of this small silver object combine a pictorial sign, a religious symbol and the issuer's name. The denarius represents the beginnings of coinage under the first Piast rulers, whereas the Słuszków hoard dates from the turn of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.