Louis the Pious (814-840)
Second Issue - after 818-9
(for a larger version click here)
Melle: Mine, Mint, Money
Home page (and contact info) Carolingian
coins
Mines
Melle is the site of the silver mines
that were the metal source for many Carolingian coins. It is possible to
visit the galleries and see demonstrations of early minting techniques.
You can even strike your own (lead) denier. Melle was a wonderfully prolific
mint during the Carolingian era, and is equally problematic in attribution
of much of its output. For example, it is very difficult to separate the
Melle coins of Charles the Bald and Charlemagne, to the chagrin of many
collectors. This image of medieval coin making is from the mine web site.
Today you enter the mines by newer shafts that have been cut into the cliff
face. In Carolingian times, the mines were accessed via vertical shafts.
These older shafts still exist. In winter pictures with snow on the ground,
you can see the shaft locations because the warmer air from the mines melts
the snow around the shafts. The mines themselves are hollowed out by the
mining operation. The mining process started by building a fire against
the mine wall and letting it burn for several days. The heat fractured
the rock, which was then chiseled out with picks. The rock was then washed
and crushed. The ore of interest included silver embedded in lead. This
heavier ore separated from the other mining output in the washing due to
the differential weight. It was then further treated to separate the silver
from the lead. The top photo shows modern entrances to the mines and the
second one shows some of the mine's interior.
This photo, from a museum publication, shows what current archeologists
think would be the size of a typical fire. This approach naturally came
to put a stress on local wood resources.
**
The mines themselves are very old. They were started back in the 5th century
as a source of galena, an ore that combines lead and silver. The Merovingians
used the mines primarily for their lead. Melle was taxed and paid in lead,
which ended up on the roof of the abbey of St. Denis in Paris. Melle was
taxed 8000 lbs of lead every two years.
The mines are extensive. The map shows a hard to read scale of 5 meters.
The exterior photo above is the lower part of the map, what looks like
a bay facing left. The mines ran their course during the Carolingian era
and were essentially abandoned in the mid 9th C. The Melle mint mark moved
to Poitiers and silver came from another source. Visitors have the opportunity
to take hammer to a lead planchet and strike their own denier. This gives
a clearer insight as to how there came to be weak and off centered strikes.
This is a 'must see' visit for numismatists with a Carolingian interest.
You can visit the mines
of Melle web site.
Mint and Coinage
Whereas the Merovingians used Melle primarily
as a source of lead, the Carolingians used it as a source of silver. The
minting was prolific and varied, from Charlemagne through Charles III.
In the breakdown of the Carolingian empire, the counts of Poitou took control
of the mines and later in the 10th C the mines were played out and minting
moved to Poitiers, with a different silver source. All the following Carolingian
coin images are from the Melle mint.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne's coinage ran the gamut, from the initial two line variety
to the transitional coinage (image 3 above) which is identified as 'new
money' to what became Charlemagne's third coinage and the Carolingian standard
of the Charles', with the central reverse KRLS monogram and mint name in
the legend. The obverse legend is CARLVS REX FR. He had a fourth portrait
coinage, but none minted at Melle. (The coin sizes shown here are not to
scale, but rather reflect photographic variations.) These images are courtesy
of Georges Depeyrot, CGB, Andy Singer and Robert Ausura respectively. Charlemagne
was succeeded by his son Louis the Pious.
Louis the Pious
This early coin of Louis the Pious shows the minting process on the reverse,
with two hammers and the dies. This portrait coinage is his first coinage.
Image courtesy of Georges Depeyrot. The two line mint name (below) is his
second coinage.
AR denier, 21mm, 1.67gr. Obv: +HLVDOVVICVS IMP, central cross in a solid
circle. Rev: META/./LLVM. R1111v (does not show the '.' separating
the lines on the reverse); MG 398; Dep 6B1, 609 (11 examples); Bel 47v;
Prou 715. From Roberts, "Louis the Pious redesigned the coinage in 819
and 822. Both changes involved a recall of all earlier coins and the introduction
of a conspicuously different design." This coin replaced a portrait coin.
Recalling previous coinage for a re-mint necessarily decreases examples
of earlier coinage. This type itself was recalled in 822. The two
line motif also appeared as an obol, but with 'LVDO/VVIC' in the two lines.
AR obol, 17mm, .64gr, 2nd issue. Obv: LVDO/VVIC, on two lines. Rev: +METALLVM,
central cross in circle. R1164 (although reverse is closer to 1166);
MG 394; MEC 777; Dep 7:E2, 613 (10 examples); Bel 52.
Louis' next coinage from Melle had central crosses obverse and reverse,
with his name in the legend on the obverse and mint name in the legend
on the reverse. This is also part of what is referred to as Louis the Pious'
second coinage.
AR denier, 21mm, 1.63gr. Obv: +HLVDOVVICVS IMP, central cross. Rev: +METALLVM,
central cross. R1181; MG 400; Dep 7 E-1, 611 (11 examples); Bel 53; Prou
722; MEC 762; Nouchy LP 34. These two coins (above and below) don't fit
neatly into either the second coinage or the third coinage, which uses
the temple motif. The next image, courtesy of CGB, is an obol of similar
design.
Charles the Bald
When Louis' kingdom was divided, Charles received Francia, Burgundy,
Septima, Aquitaine and Neustria. The Aquitaine portion included the mines
at Melle, the only significant silver mine in the entire Carolingian realm
at the time. Charles minted extensively here, using a variety of coinage
styles. His earliest used the two line mint name as per his father.
AR denier, 22mm, 1.77gr. Obv: +CARLVS REX FR, central small cross. Rev:
META . LLVM in two lines. R1257; MG 1056; Dep 9-E1, 621 (124 examples);
Prou 726; not in Bel. He also had an interesting Melle obol, with just
the KRLS monogram on on side
AR obole, 17mm, .79gr. Obv: monogram with K - S left to right, R
- L top to bottom. Rev: METVLLO, central cross. R1344; MG 1060; Dep
9 H2, 622 (61 examples); Bel 97. Slight crack on 'S' of monogram.
Charles also changed his coinage style, and came to copy the design
of his grandfather Charlemagne. This type of coinage is difficult to differentiate
between the two. It is further complicated by the fact that Charles III
also used the same design. This coin is either CB or C III. Note the difference
with the much sharper but similarly designed coin under Charlemagne. The
thinness of the lettering in the earlier coin is one of the few clues as
to whose it is.
AR denier, 22mm, 1.62gr. Obv: +CARLVS REX FR, central cross. Rev: +MET+VLLO,
central monogram. R 982 (listed under Charlemagne, but immobilized by CB
and CS); MG 1064 as CB; Dep 9F1, 627 (1001 examples as CB immobilized).
MEC 935-38, 940-5.
While Charles the Bald had extensive coinage from Melle, he did not
have continuous occupancy of the mines. In the division of the realm by
Louis the Pious, Pepin (half brother of Charles and sometimes spelled Pippin)
was given Aquitaine. When Pepin died, Aquitaine came to Charles, but Pepin's
son, Pepin II contested this and was in revolt against Charles though out
much of his life. At times he was able to gain the support of Aquitainian
nobles. In 845 Pepin was in revolt and extended his territorial control
north to include Poitou and Melle. He minted at Melle for several years,
before Charles succeeded in reasserting control over the area. During this
unsettled time, Melle was sacked by Viking raiders in 848, who seized the
opportunity to take advantage of the conflict between Charles and Pepin.
Pippin II (840-52)
AR denier, 21mm, 1.61gr. Obv: +PIPINVS REX EQ, central
cross in solid circle. Rev: +METVLLO, central Pippin monogram P-IN-S-R.
R1872, MG 606 as Pippin I or II; Dep 9F1, 615 (33 examples), "les tres
grande majorite des monnaies de Pippin II fut frappe entre 845-848 ...
Melle fut un atelier tres important." This coin is conservative in design,
following Charlemagne's lead with the ruler's name on the obverse and a
personal monogram on the reverse. MEC 814. Prou 689. The following coin
is one of Pepin' obols, image courtesy of CGB.
Pepin remained a thorn in Charles' side until 852. Then Sancho Sanchez,
an ally of Pepin in recent years switched sides and committed to Charles.
He turned Pepin over to Charles. Charles had Pepin tonsured and sent him
to the abbey of St. Medard. Charles did this with the tacit approval of
Lothar, Louis the Pious' oldest son and former supporter of Pepin's claim
to Aquitaine. This effectively recognized Charles' claim to Aquitaine.
In the Edict of Pitres (864) Melle was one
of the 10 mints authorized to mint coinage. Melle was unusual in that it
continued to mint with the obverse legend CARLVS REX FR whereas the new
money authorized by the Edict was with the legend GRATIA D-I REX.
Feudal
The mines closed about 950 and minting at Melle stopped about the same
time. However, the mint name 'MELLE' survived in some form until the 12th
C, with minting now occurring at Poitiers. Hence these following coins
share the mint name with the Carolingians but the silver came from another
source.
AR obol, 16mm. Obv: CARLVS REX, central cross. Rev: MEL/ALO/+. R 3877;
Boud 414 who suggests 11-12th C.
AR obol 17mm, .51gr. Obv: +CARLVS REX, central cross. Rev: MET/./ALO/+.
R 3877; Boud 414.
