1904–1915 Serbia Silver Denar Circulated

Early 20th Century Black Hand Denar

A landlocked country in Southeast Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, Serbia has a long history often marred by bloody conflicts. One of the most sanguinary incidents took place in 1903 when insurgents led by Norman Perovic and backed by Royal Serbian Army officers stormed the Royal Palace of Belgrade and dragged King Alexander I and his wife from their hiding place. The royal couple was brutally stabbed, shot, and dismembered before their mutilated bodies were thrown out of a second-floor window onto a steaming pile of garden manure. Perovic was a member of the Black Hand, a Serbian terrorist society that assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, the spark that ignited the flames of World War I. In the wake of this brutal regicide, exiled Prince Peter—who knew of and approved the coup—was proclaimed King of Serbia. He returned to Belgrade in triumph and was crowned king in 1904.

From Black Hand Collaborator To The Liberator Of Serbia

Peter I reigned as the last King of Serbia from 1903 to 1918 and as the first King of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes from 1918 until his death in 1921. Despite his connection to the Black Hand, Peter is remembered by Serbian people as King Peter the Liberator due to a period of great Serbian military success during the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913. He was also known as the “Old King,” because he was proclaimed king at the age of 58. With his white hair and enormous mustache, Peter’s appearance certainly lived up to that moniker! Following World War I, Serbia and other South Slavic nations founded Yugoslavia, which remained in existence until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s.

Vintage Coin That Survived A Century Of War In Europe

That’s where this coin comes in. It’s a 1 Denar coin issued by the Kingdom of Serbia from 1904 to 1915. The obverse of this more-than 100-year-old Serbian Denar features the portrait of Peter I, the king installed by the Black Hand. He’s depicted in all his mustachioed glory complete with his distinctive hawk-like nose. Struck in 5 grams of 83.5% fine silver, this is the type of silver coin that circulated during World War I. In fact, each coin available here comes in Circulated condition, meaning that it saw action throughout the Balkan Wars, World War I, World War II, and the dark days of the Soviet Union’s “Iron Curtain” over Eastern Europe. Plus, the coin will come housed in a mini album and accompanied by an informative storycard. Availability is limited, so secure yours now!