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Solidus - Radelchis
| Issuer | Principality of Benevento |
|---|---|
| Year | 839-851 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.67 g |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field dominated by a bold stepped cross potent or patriarchal cross on steps, rendered in the angular, heavily stylized Beneventan manner. The arms of the cross are ornamented and a small floral or foliate element surmounts the top. The letters R and A are prominently placed within or flanking the lower portion of the cross, serving as an abbreviation for Radelchis. The surrounding circular Latin legend MICHAEL ARCHANGE R - A invokes the Archangel Michael, patron of the Lombard princes, and runs around the periphery of the coin within a beaded border. The overall composition reflects the Beneventan continuation of Byzantine religious iconography adapted to local coinage tradition. |
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| Mintage | ND (839-851) |
| Additional information |
Radelchis I seized Benevento in 839 by bribing a Lombard faction to murder his predecessor Sicard, then spent much of his reign in a grinding civil war against Sicard's brother Siconulf, who held the southern half of the principality from Salerno. The conflict dragged on until 849, when Louis II intervened and imposed the Treaty of Benevento, formally partitioning the principality into two separate states — a division that would prove permanent.
Gold solidi from this reign were struck against that backdrop of chronic instability and contested revenue, making extended mint continuity across the full 839–851 window somewhat surprising.