TYPE Medieval Serbia, Despot Djuradj (George) Brankovic (1427-1456), bronze "dinar" DESCRIPTION . Obv: 4-line Serbian legend GN DESPOT DJURDJ ("Lord Despot George") Rev: Lion rampant (Brankovic family emblem), 4 lillies around REFERENCE: J 121 var., Jov 42-9 var. GRADING: AVF, uneven strike, green patina w/ earthen highlights ORDER INFO: S1478, $35 Throughout over two centuries of its existence, the medieval Serbian monetary system's bronze output was almost negligible, essentially relying on silver alone (as opposed to, say, neighboring Bulgaria, and many other contemporaneous coinages of the general area). Surviving types are usually either irregular short-lived, or strictly regional (usually coastal) issues. Alternately - as in the present specimen's case - there were also regular silver types issued contemporaneously in base metal. The exact purpose and origin of these remains uncertain, and even though some show traces of silvering, most (as here) have a regular appearance of patinated bronze - leaving thus also unclear if such coinage was actually meant in any way to deceive.