These pages rely heavily on Christopher Cope's engaging book The Lost Kingdom of Burgundy for both maps and historical background. He makes the argument that Burgundy was an "almost" on the stage of European history at several moments in its history. He also notes that over time the territory known as 'Burgundy" had remarkably stable borders, as suggested by the map to the left. Burgundy was also known as the Arelate, including Provence and going down to the mouth of the Rhone. These pages take a selective look at the history of Burgundy and some contemporary coinage. They are divided into three distinct parts. This page looks at Burgundy from Roman times to Charles the Bald; the Lotharingian Burgundy page follows events in what is commonly called the 'kingdom,' an area generally to the east of the Saone and Rhone; while the Capetian and related pages follow coinage and events in the duchy of Burgundy.

The Burgundians were a barbarian group, possibly moving out of Scandinavia to Poland, southern Germany and finally to the area known as Burgundy today. They were among the most Romanized of the barbarians and saw themselves as Roman. When Rome withdrew from north of the Danube and the Wurzburg area, the Burgundians moved into the region. Probus apparently used them in the defense of the northern frontier. They were ultimately displaced by the Allemans and by the mid 5th century, with Rome's collapse in the west, came to settle east of the Rhone and around modern western Switzerland.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The coins pictured here are not Burgundian per se, but contemporary Roman coins of Constantine the Greatminted in Gaul, first in Arles, to the south near the mouth of the Rhone and in Trier, north of modern Burgundy and now in Germany. They are 4th century coins.

AE 3, 18mm. Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, portrait right. Rev: SOLI INVICTO COMITI, Sol standing left holding a globe. Mint is Arles. The mint mark is under Sol on the reverse. Van Meter CG88.

AE Follis (?), 21mm. Obv: CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, portrait right. Rev: SOLI INVICTO COMITII, Sol standing left, holding globe. Mint mark under Sol is PTR, or Trier.

    for a larger version click here.

AE 3/4, 17mm. Obv: CONSTANTI NVS MAX AVG, helmeted profile right. Rev: legend unclear, two figures holding a shield with VOX PR, mint mark under figures STR, or Trier.

After the collapse of Rome in the mid 5th century Gaul went through a period of political instability. Out of this a Merovingian dynasty emerged that ultimately extended control over Burgundy. This happened about 534. Via the process of Salic inheritance, lands were distributed among sons with the death of the father. The consequence was that Burgundy came to be treated as an independent kingdom for much of the period of the Merovingian reign. Unfortunately, I have no coin images from this period. Merovingian control faded by 681 and Burgundy was essentially ruled by its own local nobility.

By the start of the 8th century, Islam had spread to Spain and Gaul was facing Saracen invasions. It fell to Charles Martel to organize the decadent Merovingian response in west Francia to this threat. Saracen raids extended into northern Burgundy and the cities of Autun and Langres were both sacked. Francia needed a unified response and Burgundy was not able to stand alone. The Saracens were defeated by Charles Martel at Poitiers in 732. Charles Martel continued his expansion of control and conquered Burgundy in 737. Charles ruled as mayor of the Palace, a position not unlike the British Prime Minister. He did not claim the kingship of Francia, but his son, Pepin (the Short) did rule as king and launched the Carolingian dynasty. In turn, Pepin's son, Charlemagne, came to rule an even larger territory, including Burgundy. This coin is from Dorstadt, which became part of the inheritance of his grandson Lothar I who inherited what has become known as the Lotharingia, a territory including Burgundy. This Lotharingian link to Burgundy is developed on the Lotharingian Burgundy page.

(for a larger version click here)

AR denier, 20mm, 1.67gr. Obv: +CARLVS REX FR, central cross in a circle of dots, one dot in two quadrants diagonally opposed. Rev: +DORESTADO, central (very vague) KRLS monogram. Mint is Dorstadt (Netherlands). Charlemagne's coinage goes through several distinct phases. The CARLVS REX is third in a series of four distinct types. It is also a type that became very popular with subsequent Emperor Charles', leading to some identity confusion for collectors. R966v; MG100v (cites a variation with diagonally opposing dots); Depeyrot 4A (793-812), 411 (42 examples), "dans quelques cas, seuls deux globes semblent figurer sur certaines tres rare monnaies;" Belaubre 36v; not in Nouchy. This coin was damaged and was very well repaired.
 

Charlemagne was succeeded by his son Louis, known as Louis the Pious and whose territories included Burgundy.

AR denier, 20mm, 1.67gr. Obv: +HLVDOVVICVS IMP, central cross. Rev: BITV/RICES in two lines. Mint is Bourges. R1086; MG 410 as B..././R...; Dep 6-B1, 177 (147 examples); MEC 766 which pictures the central reverse '.'; Nouchy LP19; not in BEL. This coin is the closest to Burgundian territories represented on the site.

Louis the Pious initially had three children who had territorial claims and rights of succession. He remarried and had a fourth son by his new wife, Judith. This fourth son was Charles the Bald.

On the death of son Pippin 1, king of Aquitaine, Louis gave that throne to Charles. This was contested by the local nobles and was unresolved for a period of time. When Louis died in 840, his three surviving sons engaged in civil war over the division of the kingdom. For a closer look at this conflict, see the Battle of Fontenoy page. They finally agreed to a partition in 843, whereby Charles received Francia, the west of the kingdom, Lothar the middle lands running from modern Flanders into Italy, and Louis received what is now Germany. The map above reflects the split.

Carolingian succession required the division of the father's lands, hindering the development of a unified kingdom in France. This particular division set a basis for what some have argued became the foundation for modern European states. For a fuller discussion of this division of the Carolingian realm please visit the accompanying Louis the Pious page which has a series of maps, genealogical background and contemporary documents. If you have not seen it, the Carolingian coin page has a number of  additional coins from a variety of 9th and 10th century rulers.

Charles the Bald faced pressures from Viking invasions but he ultimately (although temporarily) settled conflicts with them.

AR denier, 20mm., 1.75gr. Obv: +CIIAIOIVS IIIPEP (where the C is retrograde), central monogram. Rev: +CAVNONIS CIVS (where the S is retrograde), central cross. Mint is Chalon sur Saone. R1565v; MG 1477 (cites 2 examples); Dep type ? - 262v (9 examples) matches not closely to MG 1472-74; Prou 621; not in Bel. The legend is clearly bungled, perhaps trying for CARLVS IMP on the obverse. This coin from Burgundy is relatively rare.

This map shows that most of the Viking incursions during Charles' reign were in the west of his kingdom and that Burgundy was by and large spared. The exceptions were a raid in Valence in 860 and several in the western part of Burgundy. The map shows raid locations between 840 - 870. (Cambridge Illustrated Atlas: Warfare 20)

After initially dealing with the Vikings, he then turned again to Burgundy. His half brother Lothar died and the other surviving brother, Louis the German, contested the division of Lothar's lands. While Louis was distracted in Italy, Charles entered Lotharingia and was crowned at Metz in 869. This was only a temporary success. He was forced to give up some of these lands the next year, and Louis in turn ceded him lands in Lyon and Vienne.

While Louis could generously 'give' lands around Vienne, the local inhabitants took an opposing view and resisted Charles. Charles, however, was ultimately successful in this venture. His final victory was over Gerard of Roussillon, count of Lyons and Vienne, in 871, who contested the ceding of lands to Charles. In a gesture of magnanimity, when Vienne fell, after a defense by Gerard's wife, he allowed them to retire to Avignon, where they died some years later.

Charles' grandson ruled briefly and his territory included Autun, from which he had coinage.

AR denier, 20mm, 1.55gr. Obv: +KARL CT IO, central Rx. Rev: MONT S NAZ, central cross. Mint is the church of St. Nazaire in Autun. R-; Dep 94 (9 examples). He cites the legend as +KARL CT D and MON +S NAZ. MG 1419 as Charles III; Prou 603 as Charles III; PdA 5638 (which matches this legend but is without attribution); MEC as Charles the Bald. They cite this as a unique style of CB and date it from a hoard. There is no other CB coin with the Rx. I'm skeptical.

At this point the story splits. The Lotharingian Burgundy page traces developments in the east and the emergence of a strong Germanic influence on Burgundy. The Capetian Burgundy page traces the duchy of Burgundy and the role of the Capetian dukes of Burgundy. This latter chronology continues with a look at the Valois dukes of Burgundy.

 Sources:

Cope, The Lost Kingdom of Burgundy.

Riche, The Carolingians.

Van Meter, The Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins