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Obole - Raymond IV
| Issuer | Principality of Orange (French States) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1314-1340 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (uncial) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A plain cross pattée centered within a beaded inner circle, with a hunting horn (the heraldic symbol of the Princes of Orange) appearing in the second quarter of the cross. The arms of the cross extend to the inner circle, dividing the field into four quarters. The surrounding marginal legend in uncial Latin reads + PRInCEPS AVRASI, partially visible on the irregular hammered flan. The design is typical of feudal deniers from the Principality of Orange. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Raymond IV ruled Orange during a period when the principality's mint was asserting its autonomy with particular vigor, issuing small billon fractions that circulated alongside the dominant coinage of the Dauphiné and Provence. The obole was the workhorse of everyday petty transactions — bread, a handful of nails, a day's portion of a laborer's wage — and surviving examples have usually paid for all of it.
The billon alloy used by Orange's mint in this period was notoriously variable in silver content, a common characteristic of smaller feudal mints operating without the strict oversight imposed on royal issues.