Denier - Theoderic II Epinal

The Bishopric of Metz held minting rights under Ottonian and early Salian emperors as part of the broader policy of concentrating monetary authority in ecclesiastical hands — a deliberate counterweight to secular lords who might otherwise control regional coin supply. Bishop Theoderic II, who held the see from 1005 to 1046, was a figure of considerable political weight in the Lorraine, maintaining close ties to the imperial court across three reigns. His deniers from Épinal represent the exercise of that delegated regal authority at a secondary mint site rather than Metz itself.