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Obol - Henry I
| Issuer | Duchy of Aquitaine (French States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1154-1169 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Obol (1⁄480) |
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| 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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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | hENRICVS (Translation: Henry.) |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents a three-line monogrammatic inscription reading REX, with the letters arranged in a stacked, interlaced monogram format filling the central field, accompanied by a small cross below. A beaded border frames the entire design. The lettering, executed in uncial script, reflects the abbreviated regal title of Henry as Duke of Aquitaine, a convention common to Poitevin feudal coinage of the mid-12th century. |
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| Additional information |
Henry I here is Henry II of England, who held Aquitaine through his marriage to Eleanor in 1152 and styled himself duke in right of his wife. The obol denomination — half a denier — served the smallest everyday transactions, and Aquitainian billon issues of this period are notoriously variable in silver content, reflecting the chronic debasement that plagued feudal French coinage throughout the twelfth century. Eleanor's eventual imprisonment in 1173 effectively ended Henry's uncontested control of the duchy.