Opponent of Vlad the Impaler

425, Lot: 736. Estimate $150. Sold for $90. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

WALLACHIA. Vladislav II. 1446-1448 and 1448-1456. AR Ducat (14mm, 0.54 g, 1h). + Iω BΛЯДICΛЯ BOIBOДГNb, arms of the Basarab family: crescent and star within left half / + Iω BΛЯДHCΛЯ BOHД, the Wallachian crest: eagle standing left, head reverted, on helmet. MBR 257 var. (legends). Near VF, toned, a couple edge splits. Very rare.

From the BRN Collection, purchased from Andy Singer, January 2011.

Vladislav II was the son of the Wallachian voivod Dan II, a ruler from the House of Dănești. At the time, Wallachia was a border territory between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, each of whom supported different factions that continually contested control within the country in the 15th century. The confict particularly lethal in that it was an internicene struggle between two branches of the hereditary Basarab dynasty, the House of Dănești and the House of Drăculești. In 1447, the boyars, supported by the Hungarian regent Jan Hunyadi, rebelled against Vlad II Dracul, who was a vassal of the Ottomans. Vlad was assassinated, and the Hungarians placed Vladislav II on the throne. Shortly thereafter, the Ottomans invaded and placed Vlad II's son, Vlad III Tepes (the Impaler) on the throne. The younger Vlad only ruled a few months before the Hungarians invaded, ousting him and restoring Vladislav II. Vlad III fled to Moldova, but later reconciled with Hunyadi, who, acknowledging Vlad's political and military skill, took him as an advisor. At the same time, Vladislav played both the Hungarians and Ottomans off against one another, thereby losing his traditional Hungarian support base. Thus, when Hunyadi marched against the Ottomans, who were besieging Belgrade, the Hungarians shifted their support to Vlad III, who invaded Wallachia and killed Vladislav in personal combat.