unique uncatalogued french france coins monnaies inconnu francaise

AR obole, 16mm, .63gr. Obv: LVDO/VVIC in two lines. Rev: +NETALLVHP, central cross. Mint is Melle. R1164v; Prou 710v (no P at end of legend); MG-; Gariel-; Bel-, MEC-. The reverse legend, ending in P, is not in any of these sources. Prou 710 comes closest (+NETALLVH). The obole he cites is .78gr.

AR obole, .83gr., 15mm. Obv: +PISTIANAP(?)I, central cross. It is possible that the questionable letter P has a separated leg, actually attached to the bottom of the I, and is actually an 'R.' Rev: +PISTIANAD (? last letter D or P), central cross, four besants. This unusual obole has similar legends obverse and reverse. One side comes close to MG and Gariel, but both those coins have LVDO/VVIC on the obverse. MG 467 reverse +PISTIANARI, cross 1 dot as Louis the Pious. Gariel XX - 149 as PISTIANARI and cites Voillermier collection. This coin and both MG and Gariel have the 'S' on its side. Given the similarity of one side, and with nothing similar in Charles the Bald's coinage, I attribute this to Louis the Pious. Dep -; Prou-.

AR obole, 16mm, .66gr. Obv: +PPIMIVS REX, central cross. Rev: IA(inverted)QA/AII.IAT (retrograde of AQVI/TANIA). R1863v; Dep 186bv; MG 601v; MEC 812v-813v; Prou 660v; Gariel-. Mint is Bourges. No source matched the legend PPIM or the retrograde reverse. Perhaps an uncatalogued coin.

AR denier, 1.53gr, 23mm. Obv. Retrograde: +IOTAHVSIPERA_, central cross with four besants. Rev: +IIOI’I’SIS=IVEIA_, central temple. Retrograde first S, following IS difficult to see. Reverse legend may be slightly different due to difficulty to read. Mint is Dorestadt. Not in MG. They cite several legends, not retrograde, starting IOTA, followed by II (525-27) or M (529-30). Lothar has coin legends starting with IOT from Maastricht and Huy. Lothar II has an obole from his palace mint with the legend IOTAHVSIEIX. MEC 819 is Dorestadt (Frisian imitation) with an IOTAMVSPIEIPAT legend linked to MG 525. Prou (74-78) shows several IOTA__ legends for Dorestadt, none retrograde. Gariel (p322, 17) identifies one Lothar Dorestadt coin with the legend starting IOTAII_. Not in Dep, R. None of these sources show any reverse legend starting (or ending) IIOII or similar.

Coupland (2007, IX, 18) argues that on stylistic grounds one coin found in Groningen (circa 1890) with the retrograde legend +IOTAHVSIPERA can be attributed to Dorestadt. He does not note the reverse legend. In another article (2007, VII, plate 36 #28) he shows a Dorestadt temple denier with a retrograde legend starting IOTA __ and ending AT. The reverse legend appears to start IIORE__ so while similar, is not this coin.

Haertle places the Groningen hoard circa 845/6, 850-55. In his description (p80) he identifies 5 Lothar I coins in the hoard, 2 from Dorestadt. Unfortunately, in the Katalog (p352-3) he shows only 4 Lothar I coins, and only one from Dorestadt, not the retrograde legend Coupland cites.

This particular coin is unique in the literature to which I have access. The retrograde obverse legends matches the coin Coupland describes but the reverse legend does not match that pictured on his plate 36.

Coupland offers insight into Dorestadt’s experience as a Carolingian town and mint. It was a major port city in the 9^th century, serving traders from Britain, Scandinavia and the Baltic. It faced two problems. As an attractive port, it drew the attention of Viking raiders, who occupied the area in the 830s (“apparently at the instigations of Louis the Pious’ rebellious son Lothar I.”). When the territory became Lothar’s, (840) he gave it as a benefice to a Dane, Rorik, who occupied the town. Rorik owed homage to Lothar but their relationship was unease and at one point Lothar tried to seize Dorestadt from him.

The second problem was that the Rhine was shifting and making Dorestadt a less attractive port, since navigation became more difficult. The town went into decline in the 840s and 850s. Coupland says it dropped out of the Carolingian record after a Viking raid in 863.

Therefore Lothar apparently did not directly control the mint and coinage quality, although its output was substantial. When Louis the Pious died Dorestadt initially kept the XPISTIANA RELIGIO and changed the obverse from Louis to Lothar. Louis introduced this type of coinage in the 820s. The Dorestadt coinage was often of poor quality and included blundered legends, as does this coin. This chronology places this coin in the 840s. The coinage then shifted to the three line DOR/ES.TA/TVS type with Lothar’s name on the obverse. Coupland places this development circa 850, late in Lothar’s rule. Finally, Charles the Bald had limited coinage from Dorestadt after Lothar’s death.