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Denier - Charlemagne Lucca mint, monogram
| Issuer | Unified Carolingian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 793-812 |
| 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 features a Maltese-style cross with concave arms enclosed within a plain inner circle, surrounded by a beaded border. The outer legend reads CARLVS REX FR, introduced by a cross pattée, arranged in a circular band between the beaded border and the coin edge. The design is characteristic of the reformed Carolingian coinage introduced by Charlemagne circa 793, emphasizing royal authority through the inscription rather than a portrait. The hammered flan is irregular in outline, typical of early medieval silver deniers, with the lettering boldly rendered in the Carolingian epigraphic style. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Charlemagne's monetary reform of 793–794 scrapped the earlier light denier standard and introduced a heavier silver coinage unified across the Frankish realm — a deliberate administrative act tied to his broader effort to standardize weights and measures alongside the new libra, solidus, and denarius accounting system. Lucca, an established Lombard mint absorbed after his conquest of northern Italy in 774, was among the mints brought into this reformed framework.
The Gariel reference places this squarely within the monogram series, where regional mint identity was subordinated to the imperial program. Lucca issues from this period are notably scarce relative to the northern Frankish mints.