1300-1400 Germany Hand Heller Silver Right Hand of God

500-Year-Old Lucky Coin Surfaces in Germany

Throughout history, the Right Hand of God has been depicted on coins and art. The earliest coin designs always showed the Hand of God bestowing a blessing on a Christian emperor or king – normally the ruler who issued the coin. Now you can secure the very first coin that featured the Hand of God without depicting the beneficiary of the blessing!

Struck between 1300 and 400 in .3 to .6 grams of silver, this German Heller features the Hand of God on the obverse with a Christian cross appearing on the reverse. The Heller denomination derives from the word “haller,” from the medieval German city of Hall where this coin type was first struck. Hall was part of the Swabian League of cities located in what is now Northeast Germany. The Heller was used as a unit of currency in Germany and other nations for nearly 900 years. The last Hellers were removed from circulation in 2008 by the Czech National bank and today the Heller is used by the Czech Republic, but only as a means of calculation.

When they were first issued, these groundbreaking Hellers appealed to people in every walk of life. During ancient and medieval times, the representation of the full-bodied figure of God would have been considered sinful and a grave violation of the Second Commandment (“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"). People got around this by showing just the Right Hand of God. Until this coin appeared, however, the Hand was only depicted bestowing a blessing on the king. With this design, however, the Hand by itself was interpreted as a message from God that suggested that the bearer of the coin was also a recipient of His divine blessings. These “Hand Hellers” soon became associated with bringing luck and blessings to all who possessed the coin.

This Heller was one of the most popular and circulated coins throughout most of Europe. It comes encased in a beautiful presentation box wand accompanied by a story card and certificate of authenticity. Add it to your cart and make today your lucky day!