Robert de Dampierre

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Coins of Nevers: Kings and Counts

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Any coins currently owned are kept in a safe deposit box

The Mint at Nevers dates from the 8th century. Depeyrot lists one coin from Nevers (with only one example of it) from Pepin le Bref. This coin has a NE reverse. Neither Charlemagne nor Louis the Pius have identifiable coinage from here. It picks up again with Charles the Bald and continues with other Carolingians. During the feudal era, is was a mint for the counts of Nevers, into the early 14th century. It apparently entered a period of inactivity and revived under Charles VI, where there was coinage in 1421-22. It then became a mint for Henry VI of England, from 1422-1435, and reverted to French control under Charles VII after 1436. It appears to have ceased opperation during his reign, ending an eight century run. One of the interesting characterisitcs of these coins are the thick squat letters, unusual among Carolingian coins, and continuing into the feudal period.

AR denier, 20mm, 1.63gr. Obv: +CARLVS IMP AVG, central cross. Rev: +NEVERNIS CIVIT, central KRLS monogram. Nevers mint (875-7 or 884-7). R1572 (image, not text); MG 1464 (late 9th C of an emperor Charles); Dep 12 D1, 701 (84 examples); MEC 919; Bel 179-80 as Charles le Gros; Nouchy CB245, seller (Vinchon) id as CB.

Charles the Fat was son of Louis the German and grandson of Louis the Pious. Louis the German was a brother of Charles the Bald, so Charles the Bald was Charles the Fat's uncle. When Louis the Pius divided his kingdom, Charles the Fat's father got Germany. Before he became emperor CF ruled as king of Alemannia.

After the death of Charles the Bald (and subsequently of his son Louis II - the Stammerer and grandson Carloman), Charles the Fat came to rule as king of Italy and Germany, as well as of France. He was crowned emperor in 881, but did not give the pope the satisfaction (protection of the papal territories) the pope wanted. He accepted fealty from the French lords in 884 and ruled there until 887. Charles was confronted with invasions of the Northmen and first sought to confront and finally to withdraw from confrontation. He was deposed in favor of Arnulf, descendent from Carloman of Bavaria. This opened the way for a series of regional kings throughout the (defunct) empire.

AR denier, 21 mm, 1.27gr. Obv: +LVDOVICVSRE, central (rex?) monogram. Rev: +NEVERNIS CVT, central cross. Nevers mint. R1814 (which says 'CIVIT' whereas this is 'CVT'); MG 1633/4v (CVT); Dep 22 B1, 705 (26 examples); not in Bel; Nouchy L415.

AR denier, 19mm., .9g. Obv: LVDOVICVS REX, fairly hard to read. Central + over ... over __, crescent to right. Rev: NEVERNIS CVT, central cross with small + in one quadrant. Mint is Nevers. R4163; Boud 339; PdA 2118.

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AR denier, 19mm, 1.24gr. Obv: +LVDOVICVS RE, central design. Rev: +NIVERIS CIVT, central cross. Mint is Nevers. R4163v; Baud 339v; PdA 2119.

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AR denier, 20mm, .947gr. Obv: +LVDOVICVS RE, central design. Rev: +NEVERIS CVT, central cross with 2 dots in one quadrant. Mint is Nevers. R1463v; Boud 339v; PdA 2119.

William IV (1161-68)

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AR denier, 19mm, .98gr. Obv: +COMES GIIIEMIO, central design. Rev: +NIIERNIS, central cross. Mint is Nevers. R4165; Boud 341; PdA 2130 is as close as he comes, but not a good match. Mis-ID'd by seller as Guy d'Forez.

Billon denier, 19mm. Obv: COMES GUIDONI, central star and crescent (not visible on this coin). Rev: NIVERNIS CIVIT, central short cross. Mint is Nevers. Description from R. Lilly "The coin is centered, and has a grayish-silver color, but it is crudely struck, with weakness in the legends and the images. The crescent, star and staff are actually a degeneration from the word "rEX" in the center of the reverse on earlier coins of Nevers." R4166, Boud 342.

From Lilly: "This city, at the confluence of the Loire and Nievre rivers in central France, was named Nevirnum in late Roman times, and the legend on the obverse of the coin refers to the city by a form of that latin name. In January, 1170, during the period when this type of coin was minted, the Pope commissioned the Bishop of Nevers and the Archbishop of Rouen to attempt to reconcile the differences between Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, and King Henry II of England. They failed in that endeavor, and Thomas was murdered in December of that year."

AR denier, 19mm. .93gr. Obv: +COMES ERVEVS, central crescent and symbols. The coin is hard to read and the legend is from R. This looks like EVI_OVI. Rev: +NIVERNIS CVIT, central cross, empty quadrants. Mint is Nevers. R4168v, 4171v (which has CIVT and objects in the + quadrants. ; PdA 2135v (as billon, objects in the + quadrants); Boud 344v. Seller Maison Platt ID's as AR, PdA 2138.

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Billon, 19mm, .53gr. Obv: +ERVIS COMES, central cross. Rev: NIVERSCIS, central device. Mint is Nevers. R4171; PdA 2138; Boud 345.

Bill denier, 18mm, .90gr. Obv: +GVIDO COMES, central Nevers monogram. Rev: +NIVERNIS CIVIT, central cross with two besants and two arrow points. Mint is Nevers.R4172; Boud 346; PdA 2140. PdA calls the arrow points 'pmmes de pin' (as does Boud) or 'fers de lance.'

AR denier, 18mm. Obv: +M.COMITISSA, cntral horizontal bar, fleur d'lis above, deux etoile below. Rev: +NIVERNIS CIVIT, central cross. Mint is Nevers. R4691 (as Matilda 1241-57); PdA 2141, 47:2 (Mahaut and Eudes de Bourgogne); Boud 347. Her husband had coinage from Nevers in his own name.

Bill denier, 18mm, .82gr. Obv: I.F:REGIS FRANCIE, Auerroise cross with an annulet in the 2nd quadrant. Rev: CO:NIVERNESIS, central two lis and two stars. Mint is Nevers. R4544; Boud 349 (P=20 as a rarity estimate); PdA 2145 (as bill). Dep 765.

AR denier, 19 mm, 0.8 gr. Obv: NIVERNENSIS, shield with lions rampant. Rev: ROBERTVS COMES, central cross. Mint is Nevers. R4586; Boud 350 which ids "croix auxerroise."

AR denier, 17mm. Obv: +LVDOVICVS COMES, central cross, star in one quadrant, diagonally across - another figure. Rev: +NIVERNEI_ISIS, central shield bracketed by stars. Mint is Nevers.R4588v (which shows a crescent opposite the star); PdA 2157 series, as billon, plate 47:11 or 12; Boud 353 (source of the reverse incritpion, since the coin is worn). Louis was also count of Flanders.

AR gros au lion, 26mm, 3.81gr. Obv. inner legend: LVD/OVI/C'CO/MES, central cross. Outer legend: +BNDICTV::SIT: NOMEN:DNI:NRI:XPI. Rev: MONETA FLAND, central lion Minted in Ghent (1340 - 43). Seller ID (Singer) VanG 2582 (van Gelder); G 201(Gailllard). (I don't have these references.)

Bill gros, 27mm, 2.63gr. + Obv inner ring: LVD/OVO.C'CO/NES, central cross bisecting the legend. Outer obv ring: +SIT NOMEN etc., Rev: MONETA FLAND, central lion, outer ring design. Mint is Rethel. R6696; PdA 6112-15. Gift from Yves Debroyer.

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AR double gross au lion, 27mm, 3.367gr. Obv inner legend: LVD/OVI/C*CO/MES in four quadrants of a cross. Outer legend: +BENEDICTV:SIT:NOMEN:DNI:NRI:IHVXPI. Rev: MONETA fLAND', central lion. Mint is Rethel. R6696; Boud 2230; PdA 6112-15.

AR grand blanc aux ecus, 28mm (1422-35). Obv: *FRANCORVM:ET:ANGLIE:REX, center shields of France and England under HENRICVS.  Rev: *SIT:NOMEN:DNI:BENEDICTVC, a cross with fleur left, leopard right, over HENRICVS. Mint is Nevers. The mint mark is a 5 point star (mullet). This is hard to see so here is a blowup of the top of the coin, with the mint mark. Elias 286a,  RR; Dup 445. Henry also used a mullet on some of  his English coinage. It appeared on his gold quarter noble (1419) and silver penny (1451).