Denier - Charlemagne new coinage of Melle

Charlemagne's monetary reform of 793–794 was among the most consequential administrative acts of his reign. The new, heavier denier — roughly 1.7g against the old ~1.3g standard — was imposed empire-wide by capitulary, with minting rights concentrated at royal-controlled workshops. Melle, in the Poitou, was one of the most productive of these, its exceptional silver deposits having supplied Frankish mints for generations. The reform explicitly prohibited older lightweight coins from circulation, a demonetization enforced under penalty of fine.

Melle's output is well attested in contemporary hoards found across western Francia.