Catalog
Denier - Pepin the Short
| Issuer | Unified Carolingian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 751-768 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Denier (1⁄264) |
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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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents the royal title in abbreviated Latin rendered in a similarly bold, rustic style. A pellet is visible within the field, flanked by the abbreviated letters denoting the Frankish kingship. A partial inner beaded border survives along the upper edge of the flan, suggesting the presence of a collar or die border, though much is lost to the irregular strike. The overall workmanship reflects the transitional monetary reform coinage of Pepin the Short's reign. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Pépin le Bref struck these deniers following his deposition of Childeric III in 751 — the coup legitimized by papal sanction, which made Pépin the first Carolingian king and rendered his coinage the first to carry genuine royal Frankish authority rather than the ghost-authority of a Merovingian figurehead. The monetary reform he initiated, standardizing the denier as the foundation of Frankish silver currency, was later formalized under his son Charlemagne but the groundwork was entirely Pépin's.
Morrison's classification remains the primary reference; the absence of Prou and Gariel numbers reflects how poorly documented individual dies are for this reign.