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Denier - John VIII and emperor Charles II/Charles III
| Issuer | Papal States |
|---|---|
| Year | 872-882 |
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| Currency | Denier (772-983) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Frontal bust of Saint Peter depicted in a highly stylized, hieratic manner consistent with Carolingian-era ecclesiastical art. The figure is shown facing forward, wearing papal vestments and a tiara or mitre, holding a long processional cross in the left hand and a key or book in the right. The facial features are rendered with large, almond-shaped eyes and a prominent beard, executed in a flat, linear engraving style. The peripheral legend SCS PETRVS is distributed around the figure in Carolingian majuscule lettering, identifying the apostle. The design reflects the close alliance between papal and imperial authority expressed through this joint coinage. |
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| Additional information |
This joint issue reflects the political arrangement formalized after Charles II (the Bald) secured imperial coronation in 875 and the papacy's dependence on Carolingian military protection against Saracen raids pushing up the Italian peninsula. The coinage naming both pope and emperor was a deliberate assertion of the dual-authority theory that defined ninth-century Latin Christendom — temporal and ecclesiastical power publicly bound together on a single flan. John VIII was the first pope to be assassinated, poisoned and then clubbed to death by members of his own entourage in 882, making this the terminal issue of his pontificate.