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Denier - Charlemagne Clusis mint
| Issuer | Unified Carolingian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 768-793 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Denier (1⁄240) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field occupied by a bold Carolingian monogram of KAROLVS, composed of interlaced capital letters struck in high relief with characteristic early medieval hammered workmanship. The monogram is arranged within a plain, unbeaded border on an irregular flan typical of the pre-reform coinage of Charlemagne. The letters C, A, R, O, L, V, and S are interwoven in a cruciform design, a device employed on Carolingian deniers to denote royal authority without portraiture. The surfaces show natural silver-grey patina with areas of granular corrosion consistent with prolonged circulation and burial. The flan is slightly chipped at one edge, as commonly encountered on hammered issues of this period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Clusis — modern Chiusa di San Michele in the Val di Susa — was a strategically critical Alpine pass mint, established precisely because Charlemagne needed to supply and pay his forces moving between Francia and Italy. The deniers struck there before the 793 monetary reform are notably light against the reformed standard, reflecting the transitional weight regime of the early reign. Prou's variant designation for this piece signals a die difference from the main Carolingian sequence, though the exact nature of that variation remains incompletely documented in the literature.