Catalog
Denier - Pepin the Short Brioux mint
| 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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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Within a prominent beaded border, a bold central annulet or pellet-in-ring motif serves as the focal point, from which four curved branches radiate outward to form a cross, each arm terminating in a globule. The spaces between the arms of the cross are filled with additional pellets arranged symmetrically, creating a densely decorated field. The overall composition is typical of early Carolingian deniers from provincial mints, combining the Christian cross symbol with a decorative pellet arrangement in a flat, hammered relief. |
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| Mintage | ND (751-768) |
| Additional information |
Pépin III deposed the last Merovingian king, Childeric III, in 751 with papal backing — a transaction that required Boniface of Mainz to perform the anointing and, critically, that required new coinage to assert the legitimacy of a dynasty that had not yet existed three years prior. The Brioux mint, located in what is now Deux-Sèvres, was among the workshops activated under Pépin's monetary reorganization, which began consolidating silver coinage away from the fragmented Merovingian system of local moneyers striking in their own names.
The Morrison corpus remains the standard reference for Carolingian coinage before Charlemagne's 793–794 reform, which superseded these lighter deniers entirely.