Obol - Louis I

Louis I inherited the Frankish throne in 814 following Charlemagne's death and initially continued his father's monetary reforms largely unchanged. The obol — half a denier — occupied the lowest practical rung of the Carolingian silver coinage and saw heavy use in small market transactions, almsgiving, and toll payments. The narrow window of 814–819 places this piece before the reforms associated with the Ordinatio Imperii of 817, which restructured imperial succession and coincided with administrative tightening across the mints.