The design on this bracteate is descriptive: Every contemporary knew immediately that the coin was issued by Henry the Lion, the duke of Saxony and Bavaria (1139-1195). The centre of Henry's realm was Braunschweig, where he had a famous monument erected that can be seen up to this day. It is the so-called Braunschweig Lion, the oldest freestanding sculpture of the Middle Ages north of the Alps.