ROTTWEIL ROYAL MINT, KING FRIEDRICH II, Berger 2567, Date 1240-1250 AD, BI Silver Brakteat, Eagle

★ Extremely fine condition, near Mint State - high relief and sharply strucked - well centered - beautiful dark silver patina color toning ★
MEDIEVAL GERMAN COINS, ROYAL MINT OF ROTTWEIL
Reign: Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen (1215-1250)
Mint: Rottweil, Royal Mint
Date: c. 1240/1250 AD
Nominal: Brakteat (Bracteate)
Material: BI Silver
Diameter: c. 20mm
Weight: 0.35g
Reference: Bonhoff -
Reference: Berger 2567
Reference: Klein/Ulmer (CC) 304
Obverse: Eagle with spread wings within linear border and beaded circle
Inscription: -
Translation: -
Comment: The Roman settlement in the town of Rottweil was founded in 73 AD by the Romans under Emperor Vespasian as part of the construction of the Roman Kinzigtal road, making Rottweil the oldest town in Baden-Württemberg - even if it has not existed as a town since Roman times. After the Romans lost control of the area to the Alemanni around 260 AD, the Roman town fell into decline; however, a significantly reduced settlement apparently continued to exist - but with the disappearance of the Roman inhabitants, the Latin name of the town also disappeared. Due to the good transport links, an Alemannic ducal court was established here, which became the royal court ‘Rotuvilla’, which first appears in documents as early as 771 AD. This royal court became very important as a court and administrative centre under the Carolingians. Long afterwards, the court of Rottweil was one of the most important courts in the German Empire in the late Middle Ages. It was first mentioned on 19 January 1299 AD. High medieval Rottweil was rebuilt in the Hohenstaufen period on a rocky spur above the Neckar about two kilometres west of the former Roman town. The Staufers built the town at its present location according to the Zähringen model (divided into four parts by the crossroads). The late medieval town centre dates back to this period, with its oriel-decorated town houses, the wrought-iron cockeyed shields, which were mandatory in the 16th century, and the numerous churches in Rottweil. The predecessors of this settlement are the Middle Town and the Old Town, on parts of the foundations of Roman Rottweil. It is probable that significant ruins of the Roman Arae Flaviae remained visible into the Middle Ages, as indicated by the ‘Hochmauren’ district and estate in the former settlement area.
Towards the end of the 11th century, Rottweil was a place of ducal rule in the Duchy of Swabia. After the rise of Swabian dukes from the Hohenstaufen dynasty to German kingship, the town was once again closely associated with the kingdom from the beginning of the 13th century. From 1230 AD, Rottweil was designated an imperial city and was therefore a direct territory of the Holy Roman Empire. Initially administered by a royal mayor, mayors (1299 AD) and a large and small council (1311 AD), representing the interests of the citizens, were later added to the management of the imperial city. The assessors of the imperial court were also members of the Great Council. As a basis for this, the city gave itself its own imperial city council constitution, which granted it a certain degree of internal independence. After the decline of Hohenstaufen rule from 1250 AD and the election of the Habsburg Rudolf as Roman-German king at the end of the interregnum in 1273 AD, Rottweil's imperial immediacy was at stake when the new king pledged the office of imperial mayor to Count Albrecht von Hohenberg in 1285 AD. However, the council of the imperial city succeeded in acquiring the office of Schultheißen from the empire temporarily in 1344 AD and then permanently in 1383 AD. In the course of its existence, the imperial city of Rottweil was able to build up a sizeable territory of its own. It covered an area of around 220 square kilometres, making it the third largest imperial town territory in the Swabian Imperial Circle after Ulm and Hall.