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Denier - Adelchis star
| Issuer | Principality of Benevento |
|---|---|
| Year | 853-867 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Central cross with distinctive oval or lenticular arms, each quarter of the field adorned with a pellet, giving the design a star-like appearance characteristic of this issue. The cross is set within a plain field, with a circular Latin legend distributed around the periphery. The coin border is formed by a ring of beads, typical of Carolingian-influenced Beneventan hammered coinage of the mid-ninth century. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A bold Latin cross with plain arms occupies the centre of the field, flanked on each side by pellets in the angles, within a beaded border. The circular Latin legend is distributed around the cross, invoking the Virgin Mary as patroness. The overall style reflects the Carolingian denier tradition as adapted by the Lombard princes of Benevento, with a characteristically irregular flan resulting from hand-hammered production. |
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| Additional information |
Adelchis ruled Benevento during one of the most precarious stretches in Lombard southern Italy — squeezed between Carolingian pressure from the north and Arab raids that repeatedly struck the Campanian coast. His father Radelchis had only recently ended a brutal civil war with the rival Lombard princes of Salerno, a conflict so destructive that both sides had hired Arab mercenaries, effectively opening the door to permanent Saracen presence in the region. The deniers of Adelchis are among the more coherent coinages to emerge from Benevento's long, fragmented minting history.