★ Unusual animal: a marten ★

SLAVONIA: Ladislaus IV (1272-1290), AR marderdenar. Zagreb, 0.79g, 15mm.
Obv: + MONETA REGIS P SCLAVONIA; A Marten left between two stars.
Rev: Patriarchal cross between sun and moon with clover, with two omega, two lis, between R – L.
cf. de Wit 3857.

The “Marderdenar” (literally “Marten denarius”) features the marten on the obverse. The pelts of martens were considered valuable trade goods, thus their an appearance on the coins of Slavonia. Slavonia had its own Ban, or dignitary, which oversaw it for the kingdom of Hungary, but Slavonia issued coinage independently. Hence, the Hungarian king Ladislaus IV has his name on the coinage, but the designs are separate from those of Hungary.