Ave!
Hungary, King Bela IV, Dragon reverse, Mongol Invasion Issue!
Good Silver Obol; 12mm/0.5gm struck ca. 1235-1270 AD
Con/ Good Very Fine; dark silver oxidation purposely not removed for clarity, sharp strikes on each side
Obv/ Long cross flanked by two crowned heads (King Bela and Queen Maria)
Rev/ Dragon rearing right.
Seller's Note/ When routed on the banks of the Sajó river in 1241 by the invading Mongols, Béla IV fled to today's Zagreb in Croatia. Batu sent a few tumens (roughly 20,000 men at arms) under Khadan in pursuit of Bela. The major objective was not the conquest but the capture of the Arpad king. The poorly fortified Zagreb was unable to resist the invasion and was destroyed.The Mongols' pursuit of Béla IV continued from Zagreb through Pannonia to Dalmatia. While in pursuit, the Mongols under the leadership of Kadan (Qadan) attacked Klis Fortress in Croatia in March 1242. Due to the strong fortifications of Klis, the Mongols dismounted and climbed over the walls using nearby cliffs. As soon as they learned that King Bela was elsewhere, they abandoned the attack and pursued Béla IV from town to town in Dalmatia until the Mongols were finally repulsed by the Croatian soldiers. Although Bela IV survived the invasion, the Mongols devastated the country before their unexpected withdrawal in March 1242.
So, why the dragon reverse on this issue? While many believed the Mongols were the "Fail of God" as punishment for their sins, Béla equated the Mongols to Satan the Serpent (Dragon). Once the Mongols turned back to the east and he had safely returned to Hungary, he struck a very limited issue with the following obverse - Archangel Michael to left, facing right, wings spread, holding sword in his right hand and about to slay the dragon below right, head facing left. See the 2nd photo.
"Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." (Rev. 12:7-9)
Our issue, with King Bela and Queen Maria, features a snarling and defeated dragon. And now you learned something new! At least I did, anyway... ;-)