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Obole - Charles I d'Anjou - Comte de Provence
| Issuer | Sicily, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1278-1285 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Crowned bust of Charles I of Anjou facing right, rendered in a schematic medieval style typical of hammered billon coinage of the period. The effigy displays a rudimentary crown atop the sovereign's head, with facial features and drapery suggested by minimal relief on the irregular flan. A circular Latin legend surrounds the central device, reading + KAROL · SC REX, identifying the issuer as King Charles. The overall execution is characteristic of small-denomination Angevin coinage struck for the Kingdom of Sicily in the late thirteenth century. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | + KAROL · SC REX |
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| Additional information |
Charles I's Provençal coinage of this period existed in deliberate tension with his Sicilian issues — he ruled both territories simultaneously but maintained separate monetary systems, a political calculation as much as an administrative one. The obole, the smallest denomination in circulation, was the coin most likely to pass through the hands of peasants, market vendors, and toll collectors rather than merchants settling larger accounts.
The 1282 Sicilian Vespers revolt stripped Charles of the island of Sicily itself, leaving him Comte de Provence and ruler of the mainland Regno. Issues from the years immediately following are presumed to reflect that truncated authority.