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Denier - Charlemagne Arles mint, CARLVS
| Issuer | Unified Carolingian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 768-771 |
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| Currency | Pound (751-843) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central field bearing a plain Latin cross with sturdy arms, the four quadrants filled with the letters A (upper left), R (upper right), D (lower left), and IS (lower right), together forming the mint name ARDIS, a contracted form of Arelatis (Arles). The letterforms are boldly struck in the angular, monumental style typical of early Carolingian hammered silver deniers. A continuous border of raised beads encircles the design. The flan exhibits the characteristic irregular outline and slight surface porosity of hand-struck coinage from this period. The overall design follows the standard Carolingian cross-and-letters reverse type associated with the pre-reform issues of Charlemagne. |
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| Additional information |
This denier belongs to Charlemagne's earliest coinage, struck before the monetary reforms of the 770s and 780s that would eventually standardize weight and module across the Frankish realm. The Arles mint had deep roots under the Merovingians and continued operating into the early Carolingian period, though it was among the mints curtailed as Charlemagne progressively consolidated minting authority away from regional centers toward royal control. The CARLVS legend places this firmly in the pre-imperial phase — Charlemagne would not be crowned emperor until 800, nearly three decades after these earliest issues left the Arles dies.