Mining Code

[1][2][3][4] The text was written by mining specialists, the body of 24 “good men” from places outside of Novo Brdo, who have gathered at the invitation of the despot.

When the text was finalized Despot Stefan, raised it to the level of the law with his signature and seal at the assembly in Novo Brdo.

In those regulations of the city law miners of Novo Brdo were given a privileged position: the right of priority in supply, determining the highest provisions prices and some craft services.

The text of the law was written by brown ink on 27 sheets and the miniature on the first page represents a mining judicial board.

During the next two centuries the manuscript was in private possession due to it not having a seal of an official institution, for it only to appear after the Second world war at an antiques auction.

On that occasion, it was bought by the spouse of the Yugoslav diplomat France Hočevar (then ambassador in Bucharest), who gifted the manuscript on April 11, 1959, to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

The Latinic transcript of the Mining law, 13 pages long and dated with the 26th of July, 1638, was found by the academician Petar Kolendić in the city library of Split.