1300-1400 Austria 1 Heller - Right Hand of God - NGC Genuine (Silver)
- Grading Service: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation - NGC
- Grade: Genuine
- Certification: Various
- Country: Austria (German States - City of Schwäbisch Hall)
- Type: Standard Circulation Coin
- Years: 1300-1400
- Mint: The Royal mint of Schwäbisch Hall
- Denomination: 1 Heller
- Currency: Heller
- Composition: Silver
- Diameter: Varies
- Weight: Varies
- Edge: Smooth
- Obverse: Opened Hand
- Reverse: Cross with point at each end
Salvation, protection, benediction, absolution; all these and more are represented by God's hand, specifically his right hand. The phrase "the right hand of God" appears frequently in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. God's right hand is "full of righteousness," used to vanquish enemies and guide the way to the promised land. At the right hand of the Father is where the ressurrected Christ sits.
It's no wonder, then, that the image of the hand of God is so often found in religious art. Originally a Jewish innovation, the convention of using the hand of God, Manus Dei in Latin, as a symbol for God Himself was embraced by Christian artists. In late antiquity, the representation of the full-bodied figure of God would have been considered sinful, a grave violation of the Second Commandment. Indeed, the iconoclast campaigns of eighth century Byzantium were inspired by fanatical devotion to this prohibition on graven images. The Hand of God was a compromise, a way to show God without actually depicting Him.
This remarkable coin is the first to feature the hand without also depicting the beneficiary of the blessing. In its earlier forms, the Manus Dei indicated God's blessing, appearing above a devotional figure, usually a king. For example, on a fourth-century Roman coin, the Hand leads the Christian emperor Constantine to Heaven. The use of the Hand by Itself sends an evocative message, suggesting that the bearer of the coin is also a recipient of God's divine influence. The so-called "Hand Heller" is not just a lucky coin, but a blessed one.
The first of many: The denomination of this silver coin is the heller, a name deriving from the original name haller, a reference to the Medieval Swabian city of Hall, where this coin was first struck. The heller remained a unit of currency for the next 900 years in several different countries; the Czech National Bank finally removed their last heller-denominated coins from circulation in 2008.
*Coin condition is based on our professional opinion. Pictures are representative of the coin that you will receive, actual coin may differ slightly, and serial numbers may vary*
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