Dineral or ponderal of the issue related transportation of the apostle James, by Fernando II of Leon. Proposals for identification and iconographic interpretation

  • Manuel Mozo Monroy Fróðskaparsetur Føroya (Dinamarca)
Keywords: Fernando II, meaja, Middle Ages, medieval coin, dineral, ponderal, translation of the apostle Saint James, the Way of Saint James

Abstract

There have been many opinions expressed on a “meaja” (or in medieval documents: meaia, a medieval Spanish coin, smaller than a denarius) minted in Santiago de Compostela by Fernando II, King of Leon. Since the beginning it was denominated as “Traslatio Sancti Iacobi” or “Transportation of Apostle Saint James”, and this unique specimen is being kept in the Museum of Pilgrimages. Now we have the opportunity to present an equally unique specimen, the corresponding dineral (sample coin) or ponderal (meaning the counterweight coin), the rarity of which even exceeds that of the aforementioned impressive meaja, and that is without any doubt the main protagonist and central axis of this article. 

In this study we try to offer a didactic, logical and coherent interpretation of the symbols carved in these pieces, taking into account numismatic, historical, documentary and artistic aspects, which must always be considered as a whole, while trying to undertake a virtual journey to the past, in order to perceive and understand realities and images as they would have been seen through the eyes of a person who lived in the Middle Ages.

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Published
2022-04-01
How to Cite
Mozo Monroy M. (2022). Dineral or ponderal of the issue related transportation of the apostle James, by Fernando II of Leon. Proposals for identification and iconographic interpretation. Documenta & Instrumenta - Documenta et Instrumenta, 20, 149-181. https://doi.org/10.5209/docu.79701
Section
Articles