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Burgundy and Provence: Ecclesiastical Coinage
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Vienne
Sobon, archbishop of Vienne
(946 - 95)
For a larger image click here
Feudal home page ... Main home page
Any coins currently owned are kept in a safe deposit
box
Vienne
Sobon, archbishop of Vienne
(946 - 95)
For a larger image click here
AR denier, 19mm, 1.18gr. Obv: +S MAVRICI, central cross. Rev: +VIENNA, central S. Mint is Vienne. R4027; Dep 1150b (115 examples); Boud 1040; PdA-.
AR denier, 19mm., 1.14gr. Obv: +VRBS VIENNA, central H. Rev: S.MAVRICIVS, central cross. Mint is Vienne. R3975 as Conrad II, which is unusual given the central H; Boud 1041, PdA 4820. This coin is likely 11th C. This image is also placed with Henri III on the German HRE page.
Archbishops of Vienne (12th - 14th C)
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Denier, 16mm, .96gr. Obv: S.M.VIENNA, central portrait left. Rev: MAXIMA GALL, central cross with pellets. R5045, although his reverse does not show pellets. Boudeau 1045, Bel 980.
AR denier, 20mm, .97gr. Obv: PETRVS ET PAVLVS, central monogram (clef touree). Rev: +CLUNIACO CENOBIO, central cross. Mint is Cluny. R4714; Boud 1195 (rarity=8); not in PdA.
Billon denier, 17mm, 1.03gr. Obv: S.STEP+HANVS, central hand with two fingers extended. Rev: +CRISTOPOLVS, central cross. Mint: Archbishops of Besancon, mid 11th C (during the reign of Hugues II of Bresancon 1064-85?). R4751, Boud 1273, 74.
Archbishops of Besancon,
13th and 14th C
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Billon denier, 19mm, .87gr. Obv: ARTIRPTN(or H)M, central hand with two fingers extended. Rev: +BISONTIVM, central cross. R 4756.
Archbishops of Besancon
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AR denier, 19mm, .91gr. Obv: PTHOMARTIR, central hand. Legend starts at 7 o'clock. Rev: BISVNTIVN, central cross. R4757v(for text, not design); Boud 1281; PdA 5377.
Lons-le-Saulnier?
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AR denier, 21mm, 1.11gr. Obv: legend illegible and reverse central SC reversed. This is a hard coin to place. The coin came with two dealer tags. J.P. Garnier cites this as Lons but carries a PdA reference as Eudes II of Sancere (1014-37). If Eudes the legend runs +LOD=VICVS, central SC reversed. Rev: +O=GO COM=CO. R3993; Boud-; PdA 2000, cites weight as .92gr. He refers to this as a 'remarquable denier' attributed to Sancerre by M.B. Fillon. The SC stands for SACRUM CEARIS. However, recent scholarship apparently disputes the PdA attribution and in fact this is likely an unsatisfactorily attributed coin at the moment. While Garnier's tag id's this as Lons le Saunier, 10th C, Scodingue, there is no citation supporting the attribution. AS as RR. The heavy relief in the coin is similar to that of Conrad the Pacific's coinage. Attribution needs more work.
AR denier, 17mm., .97gr. Obv: +CARLVS REX, central cross. Rev: +BLE|ONIS (where | is an arrow pointing up), temple surmounted by cross, under temple H H/horizontal C. Mint is Lons-le-Saulnier. R1726v cites as immobilized til 1100. MG 1425 as an indeterminant mint; Dep 18-E1, 514B (numbering from the second edition -14 examples); not in Bel. It is most likely a more common immobilized one. The coin image to the right is courtesy of Sue Hagadorn. There are several distinct differences between the two coins, on both sides, but our discussion and comparison didn't shed light on whether either was contemporary with Charles III. The one on the right is more complex in design - notice the tips of the cross and structure of the inner circle. On the reverse the temple is more fully developed and the letter structure more sophisticated. This is probably the older of the two coins, but how much older is unclear. This coin weighs between .95 and 1.05 grams, typical of mid to late 10th century coins. Morrison (in MG) reports that 10 of 49 (20%) of CS's coins he surveyed weigh 1.26 grams or less. Hence, if this is Charles III, it is on the light end of his production. For a look at several of these coins, see the Lons page. These coins are also presented on the Burgundy Ecclesiastical page (left here due to linkages on the site).
AR denier, 18mm., 86gr. Obv: +CARLVS REX, central cross with four besants. Rev: +BLEOONIS, central temple over oval. Mint is Lons le Saulnier. 11th C. R1726; MG 1425v; Boud-; PdA-.
AR denier, 17mm, .9gr. Obv: +LVDOVICVS IMP, central cross with four besants. Rev: +XPIANA RELIOIO, central temple over two bars. 11th C. Mint Abbey of St. Maurice d'Agaune. Imitating Louis the Pious. The abbey is located in Switzerland. It is in the SW corner of the county of Valais. R4887 matches the reverse. Looking for help cataloguing this coin. Please visit the Abbey of St. Maurice d'Agaune for pictures and a history of the abbey.
Abbots of Tournus (12th
C)
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AR denier, 18mm, .919g. Obv: +SCI VALENIAN, central portrait right. Rev: +TORNVSCIO CAST, central cross. R4965, Boud 1197.
The
abbey of St. Philibert facade dates from the 10th and 11th centuries.
The nave dates from the start of the 11th century. It is constructed with
an attractive rose tinted stone. The color, simplicity and grandeur of
the abbey church make it one on the most attractive in France. The abbey
has a wonderful 10th century crypt, restored in the 19th century. The abbey
was founded in the 9th century by a group of monks who were displaced from
Normandy by Viking invasions. In 937 the new abbey was sacked by the Huns
and abandoned. It was refounded in 949. The abbey was also sacked by the
Huguenots in 1562. It survived the Revolution in 1789 because it had become
a parish church. Tournus is an attractive small town on the bank of the
Saone. The skyline is dominated by the abbey.
Lyon
Archbishops of Lyon (1050-1100)
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AR denier, 19mm, 1.3gr. Obv: +PRIMA SEDES, central LG under '-' with Rev: +GALIARV, central cross. Mint is Lyon. The coin dates 1050 - 1100. R3984; Boud 1128; PdA 5028.
AR denier, 18mm, .91gr. Obv: +PRIMASEDES, central cross with L leg. Rev: +GALLIARV, central cross. Note that one leg of the V is a cross. R 4031.
"Charlemagne ... had established uniformity of coinage and had caused the right of coining to be acknowledged as exclusively belonging to the sovereign; but his weaker successors were gradually compelled to yield this, as well as most of the other royal prerogatives, to the feudatory lords, whose power continued to increase as that of the paramount government weakened. Among these feudatories were not only all archbishops and bishops but also the leading abbots and abbesses within the empire. ... French coinage ... in the tenth century, (particularly) coinages of lay and ecclesiastical barons (the archbishops of Vienne, Arles, Reims, etc. in particular), (is) characterized by a fixed type (type immobilisé) which is maintained unaltered for a long period." It would remain unaltered since unlike ducal rulers who changed coinage styles and portraits with changes in reign, ecclesiastical coinage was often place centered rather than person centered. Source: online Catholic Encyclopedia - Numismatics.
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BL denier, 18mm, .95gr. Obv: VRBS VALENTIAI, stylized angel. Rev: S APOLLINARS, cross pommetee cantonnee d'un annelet. Boudeau 1021, Bel 965, R4782 (but R does not show the besant). Second coin, 17mm, .95gr., more clearly R4782.
Bill denier, 16mm, .88gr. As above
Bill denier, 19mm, 1.075gr. Obv: SCS MAIOLVS, bust of St. Maiolus holding crossier. Rev: SILVINACO, central cross. R4916; Boud 358; PdA 2165+; Dup 780+.
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AR denier, 19 mm, .79gr. Obv: SCS MAIOLVS, facing bust of St, Maiolus holding crosier. Rev: SILVINIACO, central cross. R 4916; Boud 358; PdA 2165+; Dup 780+.
AR denier, 16mm, .77gr. Obv: +SEDES
LAVSANE, temple over three annelets. Rev: +CIVITAS EQ'SRIV, central cross.
R4486; Boud 1188, not in PdA.
