Bodin
A document preserved in Vatican and dating from the second half of the 9th century contains the first reference to Singidunum under the Slav name Belgrade, although the name itself is much earlier. From that time on that name has persisted for centuries, for the town and its broader surroundings were settled by the Slavs, i.e. the Serbs, who appear in this region, according to historical sources, in the first half of the 7th century.
From the middle of the 11th century Byzantine Belgrade was the northernmost stronghold defending the Empire from the Hungarians, whose state was growing stronger and expanding. In the time of Emperor Manuel Comnenus (1143-1180) the Belgrade Fortress was restored, enlarged and provided with a numerous garrison. It was the period of the struggle with Hungary for supremacy in the Danubian region. In the late eleventh century Byzantine coinage underwent a chage. The gold unit was named nomisma, given a cuplike shape and generally struck in electrum (mixture of gold and silver). The same cup shape, the main feature of Byzantine coinage between the 11th and 13th centuries, was given to the bronze coinage as well.
From the time of 12th century, the time of uncertainty and war conflicts, date the hoards of various size containing Byzantine cup-like coins, the so-called scyphati, which have been found in the area of Belgrade and across the Save, in Srem. The finds include valuable coins made of gold and electrum.
The obverse of this scyphatus shows Emperor Manuel Comnenus and St Theodore standing one next to the other. They hold a cross with two horizontal bars, which rests on a globe. The inscription round the representation is partly illegible MA[N?HL] - QE [...].
On the reverse is a representation of standing Christ. He holds a Bible in his left hand and confers blessing with his right hand. To the left and right is a star, top left IC, top right XC.
In 1403, Despot Stefan Lazarević (1389-1427) transferred his capital from Kruševac to Belgrade, in accordance with the agreement on his vassal obligations to King Sigismund of Hungary. It was then that Belgrade became the capital of a Serbian state for the first time. The deserted and neglected Hungarian town was renewed within a short time. A magnificent palace-fortress, the Despot's residence, was built on Kalemegdan, in the Upper Town. Trade and crafts revived and the town began to grow and flourish. This, however, did not last long. In 1426, an agreement was made with the Hungarians at Tata that the town should be restored to Hungary after the Despot's death. Only a year later the Despot died and Belgrade was handed over to the Hungarians. The successor to the despotate, Đurađ Branković (1427-1456), transfered the capital to Smederevo. The coins of these two rulers are frequent finds in the territory of Belgrade. On the obverse of the denarius of Despot Stefan, between the arms of the cross, is the inscription: D/S/CP/OT. On the obverse is a representation of standing Jesus Christ wearing a mandorla. He holds the Gospel in his left hand and confers blessing with his right hand.
The urban core of Belgrade has remained in the same area to the present day, south of the Kalemegdan ridge, where a military base and fortifications of several successive states were located for centuries. Only the name of the town changed. Apart from the Roman and Byzantine name Singidunum and the Slav name Beli Grad, we find three more names on this medal issued on the occasion of the first Austrian capture of the town in 1688: NANDOR ALBA, ALBA GRAECA and BELGRADO.
On the front side is Emperor Leopold's bust facing right; ten coats of arms, framed with olive and palm branches, form a full circle round the bust.
On the reverse side is the personification of Hungary in the form of a woman who pays homage to Josef I, who sits on a throne six steps high. The steps bear the inscription (from the bottom up): 1683 VIENNA LIBERATA / 1684 VICTORIA PROSECVTA / 1685 LSTKRIGKLONIVM CAPTVM / 1686 BVDA RECVPERATA / 1687 OSSEK EXPVGNATUM / 1688 NANDOR ALBA SVPERATA / D.XVI.SEPT.A.MDCLXXXIIX / GRATVLATVR / S.P.Q.A.
На сачуваном фрагменту надвратника је преостао део ктиторског натписа у три реда. Писан српском екавицом, ћирилицом. Уз обичне лигатуре, у натпису је присутан и редак начин скраћивања и повезивања којим су постигнута посебна монограмска решења. Слова су обликована длетом, са декоративношћу особеном за перо и папир, а не за клесање у тврдом материјалу. Укупна ликовност натписа се изузетношћу лигатура и монограма изједначава са лепотом уметничког дела највише категорије.
На почетку, у висини два горња реда текста, уклесан је крст са Голготе, а за њим: "В Христа Бога благоверни деспот Стеф... Београдске обнових место сие и призидах певнице и... придржеш..."
On the bottom of this cup with a flower-shaped recipient is a round medallion with the motif of the eight-armed foliate cross. The massive handle is decorated with incised tendrils and with a globular pellet at the junction with the rim.
The cup has no analogies in the Serbian medieval heritage and it is exceptional in its splendid fusion of Eastern forms and the early medieval pottery decoration. It reflects the superb craftsmanship of Byzantine carvers and jewellers of the 10th – 12th centuries.
Such a harmonious blend of archaic forms and decoration known in other materials could have been produced in the 14th century only by a few Byzantine workshops in Constantinople or Thesaloniki, which made precious objects for special purposes. It is even possible that this luxurious cup was used at the court of Despot Stefan Lazarević in the first quarter of the 14th century.