Extremely rare Genuine Medieval coin Mircea the Elder, 1386-1418 AD. Grandfather of Vlad the Impaler Silver ducat 14mm. .45gm. (XF) Obv./ Mircea standing facing, holding spear and globus cruciger. Slavic legend: +I-WM-dVAB ("Io Mircea Voevod") Rev./ Wallachian crest (eagle standing left, head right, on helmet) upon the crest of the Bassaraba family. Privy mark inside right shield field, legend: I-IWM-dVAB ("Io Mircea Voevod"). ref: MBR 197 Rare and interesting as pictured. Coin is in good condition and very rare and nice inclusion to the finest collection. Authenticity guaranteed. COA included!!! Mircea the Elder ( Romanian : Mircea cel Bătrân , pronounced [ˈmirtʃe̯a tʃel bəˈtrɨn] ; c. 1355 – 31 January 1418) was the Voivode of Wallachia from 1386 until his death in 1418. He was the son of Radu I of Wallachia and brother of Dan I of Wallachia , after whose death he inherited the throne. After the death of his step-brother Dan I, Mircea takes over the throne in 1386, as Wallachia , on one side, was going through a process of economic, administrative, religious development, but also of strengthening the army, and on the other side it was confronted with the expansion tendencies of the Hungarian Kingdom and Poland, which were aiming at controlling the mouths of the Danube, but also those of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans . During the reign of Mircea the Elder, Wallachia controlled the largest area in its history, gaining Dobruja in 1388, the Banate of Severin in 1388/9 and Podunavia (which is suspected to be the Timok Valley , or the name of the Danube river valley in Slavonic as stated in Mircea's letter "both sides of Danube" ). In addition, he was also granted the fiefdoms of Amlaș ( Omlás ) and Făgăraș ( Fugurash ) in Transylvania . The byname "elder" was given to him after his death in order to distinguish him from his grandson Mircea II ("Mircea the Younger"), although some historians believe the epithet was given to him as a sign of respect by later generations. He is considered the most important Wallachian ruler during the Middle Ages and one of the great rulers of his era, and starting in the 19th century Romanian historiography has also referred to him as Mircea the Great ( Mircea cel Mare ). Family Mircea was the son of voivode Radu I of Wallachia and his wife, Doamna Calinichia , thus being a descendant of the House of Basarab . He was the father of Michael I of Wallachia , Radu II of Wallachia , Alexander I Aldea and Vlad II Dracul , and grandfather of Mircea II , Vlad Țepeș (Dracula) , Vlad Călugărul and Radu cel Frumos , [ citation needed ] all of whom became rulers of Wallachia. Mircea II and Vlad Țepeș were both able military commanders (Vlad Țepeș became one of the most famous leaders in history, and is commonly believed to be the inspiration for the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker ). Reign Arms of Mircea I which was also used by other voivodes in the House of Basarab throughout time. Mircea's reign is often considered to have brought stability to Wallachia. Found in a volatile region of the world, this principality's borders constantly shifted, but during Mircea's rule, Wallachia controlled the largest area in its history: from the Southern Carpathians in the north to the Danube in the south, and from today's Iron Gates on the Danube in the west to the Black Sea in the east. [7] Also Mircea's titles show his lands: "I, in Christ God, the faithful and charitable God and the loving and self-sacrificing Christ, Io Mircea, the great ruler and lord of God's mercy and the gift of God, ruling and reigning over all the land of Ungrovlahia and the parts above the mountains, the Tartars, and Amlas and Fagaras, the Hertz, and the ruler of the Banat of Severin, and on both sides throughout Podunavia, even to the great sea and ruler of Dartor's fortress." Mircea strengthened the power of the state and organized the different high offices, promoted economic development, increased the state's revenue, and minted silver money that enjoyed wide circulation not only inside the country but also in neighboring countries. He gave the merchants of Poland and Lithuania trade privileges and renewed those his predecessors had given to the people of Brașov . As a result, Mircea was able to afford increasing his military power. He fortified the Danube citadels and strengthened "the great army" made up of townspeople and of free and dependent peasants. He also proved to be a great supporter for the Eastern Orthodox Church . Mircea the Elder is the first in the region to deal with slaves giving 300 gypsy dwellings to a monastery in 1388. While organizing the country and its institutions, Mircea also formed a system of lasting alliances which enabled him to defend the independence of the country. [ citation needed ] Through the intermediary of Petru Mușat , the prince of Moldavia , he concluded a treaty of alliance with Władysław II Jagiełło , king of Poland in 1389. The treaty was renewed in 1404 and 1410. He maintained close relations with Sigismund of Luxembourg , the king of Hungary, relying on their common interest in the struggle against Ottoman expansion. Conflicts with the Ottoman Empire The seal of Voivode Mircea from 1390, depicting the coat of arms of Wallachia His interventions in support of the Bulgarians south of the Danube who were fighting against the Turks brought him into conflict with the Ottoman Empire. In 1394, Bayezid I crossed the Danube river, leading 40,000 men, an impressive force at the time. Mircea had only about 10,000 men so he could not survive an open fight. He chose to fight what would now be called a guerrilla war , by starving the opposing army and using small, localized attacks and retreats (a typical form of asymmetric warfare ). On October 10, 1394, the two armies finally clashed at the Battle of Rovine , which featured a forested and swampy terrain, thus preventing the Ottomans from properly spreading their army; Mircea finally won the fierce battle and threw the Ottomans out of the country. [14] [15] This famous battle was later epically described by the poet Mihai Eminescu in his Third Epistle . However, Mircea had to retreat to Hungary, while the Turks installed Vlad Uzurpatorul on the throne of Wallachia. [16] In 1396, Mircea participated in an anti-Ottoman crusade started by Hungary 's monarch. The crusade ended with the Ottoman victory at the Battle of Nicopolis on September 25. In the next year, 1397, Mircea, having defeated Vlad the Usurper with help from the Voivode of Transylvania , Stibor, stopped another Ottoman expedition that crossed the Danube , and in 1400 he defeated yet another expedition of Turks crossing the country. The defeat of Sultan Beyazid I by Timur Lenk (Tamerlane) at Ankara in the summer of 1402 opened a period of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire and Mircea took advantage of it to organize together with the Hungarian king a campaign against the Turks. In 1404 Mircea was thus able to impose his rule on Dobruja again. Moreover, Mircea took part in the struggles for the throne of the Ottoman Empire and enabled Musa to ascend that throne (for a brief reign). It was at this time that the prince reached the height of his power. Towards the end of his reign, Mircea signed a treaty with the Ottomans ; in return for a tribute of 3,000 gold pieces per year, the Ottomans desisted from making Wallachia a province ("pashalik").
Medieval Transylvania. Vlad the Impaler! The real "Count Dracula" 1428-1477 AD Vlad Tepes of the House of Basarab was a real, historical prince. He ruled Wallachia in Romania from 1456 to 1462 AD. The name Dracul(a), meaning little dragon, was inherited from his famous father, Vlad Dracul, who fought alongside Sigismund of Hungary in war against the Turks. Sigismund bestowed his thanks upon Dracul by knighting him into the Dragon Order, which was created to fight for both Christianity and the Hungarian king. His son Dracula (+a meaning "son of" Dracul) swore his life to bloody warfare against the Islamic Turkish invaders of his Chrisitan homeland. Refusing to submit to his bitter enemies, he put 20,000 of them to death in his six year reign. One gruesome story recounts that when the Turkish Sultan's emissaries refused to remove their helmets in his presence, Vlad Dracula sent all of their heads back to the Sultan with their helmets nailed on with iron spikes. His brutal ways brought upon him the nickname "The Impaler" and his bloodlust was known throughout Europe in the 14th century. Circulated during the lifetime and reign of Vlad Tepes as he minted no coins of his own. Radu I (died 1383) was a Voivode of Wallachia (c. 1377 – c. 1383). His year of birth is unattested in any primary source. He was the son of Nicolae Alexandru and half-brother and successor to Vladislav I. He is identified by many historians as the legendary Radu Negru, a mythical voievode of the early medieval state Wallachia, founder of the state's institutions and ruler. Beginning of reign Radu was the only son of Nicholas Alexander of Wallachia by his second wife, Clara Dobokai. He was co-ruler with his half-brother Vladislav I at least from 1372. He may have started his reign as sole ruler after 9 July 1374 when the last documentary mention of his brother as being alive is dated. Unfortunately, there aren't any internal documents that could attest his reign. There are a few external mentions of him, primarily documents of the Kingdom of Hungary and a contemporary Italian chronicle and also a late pisanie[clarification needed], an inscription on the walls of Curtea de Argeș Cathedral and an important quantity of coins (ducati, dinari and bani) which were emitted by the voievod . Conflicts with the Kingdom of Hungary The relations with the Hungarian kingship during his reign remained tense, resulting in armed conflicts. The details of these fights remain unclear. An Italian chronicle "Cronaca Carrarese" tells about an expedition of the Hungarian king Louis the Great between 5 July - 14 August 1377 with the intention of subduing a one "Radano principe di Bulgaria infedele" (Italian), identified with Radu I. These tense relations which preceded the fight are confirmed by the registers of the Venetian Republic where, in the same year, a large order of full-equip armors made by the Wallachian voievod appears. These armors were to be worn by those "armadura da cavali", 10.000 at number who were defeated in battle against the Hungarian king as pointed out by the Italian chronicle. It is hard to tell whether the troops of the Wallachian voievod were truly defeated, as from the internal documents of the Kingdom of Hungary which were published in the next period, it appears that the Hungarian king still had the intention of subduing the unfaithful voievod. Thus on 19 November of the same year, the king promised the Saxon traders of Transylvania from Brasov that if Wallachia becomes his possession he reduces the dues. On the contrary, in an order given to the landlord of Orsova in 1382 through which he was obliged to forbid any foreign trader to enter Wallachia with merchandise and to keep guard of the border "day and night" reporting everything that happened, there is no mention of a Hungarian ban of Severin and Orsova appears as border point thus suggesting that the Eastern part of Banat was annexed by the Wallachian voievod Radu I. Maybe linked to this fact is the strange name given to the voievod in the biography of Sigismund of Luxembourg in which, speaking of Vlad Dracul, it is said that he was the son of "Merzeweydan" (Mircea) and grandson of "Pankraz dem Weisen" (Pankraz the Wise). The name Pankraz (Pancratius) is explained from the deterioration of the name Radu Ban (ban of Severin, title taken after the conquest of the territory). Nevertheless, the Wallachian voievod, in another Hungarian document which is contemporary with the events of 1377, bears the name "Godon" as well strange and unclear. Other accomplishments An important event linked to the reign of Radu I is the move of the remains of Saint Filofteia from Tarnovo to Arges, event which happened app. in 1384 when the scene is painted on the walls of the Curtea de Arges Cathedral that became the guardian of the Saint and whose ctitor was the voievod with his brother and father. His activity as ctitor of religious establishments makes him one of the most active rulers of Wallachia, building a large number of churches with Tismana, Cozia and Cotmeana being the most important. Also, during his reign the two Catholic cathedrals from Severin (a. 1380)and Arges (9 mai 1381) are built and following the tradition, a Catholic monastery in Targoviste. Another important and controversial moment of his reign is represented by his, not well supported by evidences, ruling over the smaller of the two Bulgarian states in that moment - the Tsardom of Vidin. At the basis of this theory stands an illegible inscription on the walls of Curtea de Arges Cathedral in which, some researchers, identified the title „domn singur stăpânitor al Ungrovlahiei, al Vidinului și al oblastiei Vidinului“ ("sole ruler of Ungrovlahia, Vidin and the Oblast of Vidin"). It is true that the relations between the Wallachian rulers Vladislav I and Radu I and the Bulgarian Tsars from Tarnovo and Vidin, Shishman and Ivan Sratsimir were very tensed, the latter being themselves in conflicts for the succession of the paternal throne. Once, Vladislav I managed to annex Vidin, but he later gave it to the rightful ruler. It is possible that the same thing was done by Radu I, although the proofs supporting this theory are insufficient. Death and tomb The exact date of his death, as well as his tomb, remain unknown. Archaeological digs carried out in 1920 around the voievodal necropolis (in the grounds of the Curtea de Arges Cathedral), have revealed a rich tomb dating from the end of the 14th century, presumed to be that of Radu I. His attire, jewelry and other accessories show him as a powerful feudal ruler, with all the pomp of the Wallachian court supported by evidence that is Radu I lost tomb. | | |