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1 Solidus In the name of Constantine IV
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 668-700 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Crude helmeted and cuirassed frontal bust of the emperor, rendered in a barbarous imitative style, holding a spear over the right shoulder. The surrounding field bears pseudo-legend characters — scattered, poorly formed Latin letters — reflecting the issuer's unfamiliarity with the prototype's inscription. The overall execution is characteristic of barbarian imitations of Byzantine solidi. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | VA - NN |
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| Additional information |
These tremissis-weight imitations — struck by Frankish, Frisian, or possibly Lombard workshops — copied Byzantine solidi of Constantine IV as a matter of commercial credibility, not political allegiance. Byzantine gold was the reserve currency of seventh-century Europe, and any tribe issuing coinage had strong incentive to make it look like Constantinople's product. The copying was deliberate but imperfect, with letter forms degrading across successive die generations as engravers worked from coins rather than from any official template.
Attributing these pieces to a specific tribe remains genuinely contested.