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Tremissis - Moneyer Eligius - Clovis II Paris mint
| Issuer | Merovingian Kingdom of the Franks |
|---|---|
| Year | 639-641 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Tremissis (⅓) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust of King Clovis II rendered in a stylised late antique manner, wearing a diademed and beaded crown with pendant jewels, the effigy depicted with broad shoulders clad in a beaded paludamentum fastened at the neck. The facial features are boldly struck in high relief, with large almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and a wide mouth characteristic of Merovingian die-cutting. A partial Latin legend surrounds the bust, partially off-flan due to the irregular planchet. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Eligius of Noyon — goldsmith, bishop, and eventual saint — served as master of the royal mint under the Merovingian court before his ordination in 641, the year this issue's production window closes. His reputation as a craftsman was exceptional enough that Dagobert I had employed him to produce elaborate reliquaries and throne furnishings before trusting him with coinage. The Paris mint under his supervision is among the better-documented Merovingian operations precisely because of his unusual biographical record.
The "var." citations against both Belfort and Prou signal a die combination or spelling variant not fully catalogued — unsurprising given the decentralized nature of Merovingian minting, where individual moneyers exercised considerable autonomy over execution.