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Obol - Charles II Orleans mint
| Issuer | Charles II (the Bald) |
|---|---|
| Year | 864-875 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Obol (1⁄480) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device consists of a plain Latin cross with a small crosslet or pellet finial at the top arm, set within a beaded inner circle. The cross divides the inner field into four quadrants. Surrounding the inner circle, the mint legend naming the city of Orleans is distributed around the field, with letters rendered in the robust, slightly crude style characteristic of Carolingian provincial minting. The whole is enclosed by a beaded outer border. The flan is irregular in outline, consistent with hand-cut planchets of the period. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The 864 Edict of Pistres was Charles the Bald's attempt to rationalize a Carolingian monetary system that had fragmented badly under pressure from Viking raids and local magnates striking unauthorized coin. The edict restricted minting rights to specific royal palaces and episcopal centers — Orléans among them — and mandated the withdrawal of all earlier types. Obols from this reorganized phase are inherently short-lived issues; the window between the edict and Charles's death in 877 is narrow, and actual striking at any single authorized mint occupied only a fraction of that span.