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Obol - Charles II / Charles III Metz mint
| Issuer | Lotharingia |
|---|---|
| Year | 869-922 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Carolingian royal monogram of Charles occupies the central field, enclosed within a beaded inner circle. The monogram, composed of interlaced letters forming the name KAROLUS in the Carolingian tradition, is rendered in low relief typical of hammered coinage of this period. A circular Latin legend reading ✠ GRΛTIΛ D-I IX surrounds the beaded circle, invoking the king's rule by divine grace. The flan is irregular in shape with characteristic uneven edges consistent with hand-hammered Carolingian silver coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Metz was among the most important ecclesiastical mints in the Carolingian east, and this obol sits at one of the murkiest succession problems in the dynasty's history — the overlap between Charles II (the Bald) and Charles III (the Fat, then the Simple) across a half-century of contested Lotharingian sovereignty. The region changed hands repeatedly through the Treaty of Meerssen in 870 and subsequent partitions, making precise attribution of undated Carolingian fractions to a specific Charles a persistent problem for catalogers. Gariel and Prou diverge on the assignment, which explains the dual reference.