Six centuries since the death of the first Bosnian king: In the era of Tvrtko I Kotromanić, we were an economic power

More than 600 years have passed since the death of the first Bosnian king Tvrtko I Kotromanić. During his reign, he created a respectable state from Bosnia, which experienced political, cultural, and economic expansion. He was crowned king in Mile near Visoko, where he was also buried after his sudden death at the age of 53, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria. 

Stjepan Tvrtko I Kotromanić was born around 1338. He was the son of Vladislav Kotromanić and Jelena Šubić. He came to the Bosnian throne as a fifteen-year-old boy in 1353, and ruled Bosnia as ban until 1377. 

Tvrtko I Kotromanić was the first Bosnian ruler to take the title of king. 

During his reign, Bosnia was considered an economic power, basing its economy on rich deposits of gold, silver, lead, and other valuable metals. The gold coin minted during his rule best testifies to the economic power it was.  

Tvrtko's ducat was four times larger than the Ottoman one, it was 24 carats, four centimeters wide, and weighed 16 grams. 

This gold coin was also important for its symbolism. On one side was the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bosnia, with six lilies and two more lilies on the sides, and on the other side was a rampant lion, a symbol of the power of his kingdom. The fact that the Republic of Venice, a leading European maritime power, inscribed him in its golden book of honorary citizens also speaks of his power. 

He died suddenly on March 10, 1391, and was succeeded by his cousin Stjepan Dabiša, writes NAP.