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Denier - Charlemagne Chartres mint, crossed S
| Issuer | Unified Carolingian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 768-771 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pound (751-843) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device consisting of a prominent crossed S monogram in the field, flanked by elements of the mint legend arranged around the periphery. The legend reads S CARNOTIS, identifying the Chartres mint, with the lettering distributed around the flan in the Carolingian manner. A beaded or dotted border is partially visible at the rim. The die-work is bold but somewhat irregular, characteristic of provincial hammered coinage of the early Carolingian period. The crossed S serves as the mint mark specific to the Chartres workshop. |
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| Mintage | ND (768-771) |
| Additional information |
Chartres was among the earliest mints activated under Charlemagne following his sole rule of the Frankish kingdom after the death of his brother Carloman in 771 — though some scholarship dates production to the co-regency period beginning 768. The crossed S mintmark distinguishes this emission from related Chartres types and links it to a specific die-cutting practice documented by Prou and later refined by Morrison's corpus work.
At roughly 1.1g, these early deniers predate the Carolingian monetary reform of 793–794 that standardized the heavier pound-based system. Survivors from this transitional window are thin, easily bent, and rarely surface without at least some flan irregularity.