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1 Solidus In the name of Constantine IV, Four steps, staffs right
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 668-700 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | N D - C NVSD (Translation: Dominus Noster Constantine Our Lord, Constantine) |
| Reverse description | A patriarchal or Latin cross mounted on four steps occupies the centre of the field, flanked on either side by a standing figure holding a long staff or sceptre. The composition is a barbaric imitation of the Byzantine Victory reverse type. A circular Latin legend surrounds the central device, and a mint or workshop inscription appears in the exergue. |
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| Additional information |
These pseudo-imperial solidi, struck by Germanic tribes imitating Byzantine coinage during the reign of Constantine IV, circulated primarily in territories beyond effective imperial control — Frankish regions, Frisian trading networks, and along the North Sea littoral. They functioned as acceptable exchange currency precisely because they mimicked the weight and appearance of genuine Constantinople issues, even as their gold content was often debased. The issuing authority remains genuinely unresolved; attribution to specific tribes is speculative, and "uncertain" in the reference literature means exactly that.
MIB I assigns these to a catch-all category for a reason. The "four steps" type is among several staff-bearing imitative varieties that numismatists have struggled to assign with confidence for decades.