Merovingian Monday (my first tremissis)

[wuntbedruv]

In addition to my collecting interests of Anglo-Saxon (pretty much anything after AD 410 to 1066) and Norman (1066 to the end of Stephen's reign in my case) I also have a vested interest in contemporary coinage from other parts of the world found in Britain - with occasional lapses.  This Merovingian gold tremissis was my latest purchase in this vein, which was found in 2018 near the village of Cosgrove, Northamptonshire. It is the 7th Merovingian coin within my collection and my first gold. The other Merovingian coins in my possession include five silver deniers (of which three have securely recorded, British findspots) and a plated contemporary forgery of a tremissis - also found in Britain.

This coin belongs to the so-called 'National series' struck between about 580 and 670, where one side names the mint and the other the moneyer. On this coin the mint is named as 'GAEPVOLISPV', currently unidentified, while the face naming the moneyer bears the inscription 'MAVROALDO MON' (Mauroaldus Moneta - Mauroaldus the moneyer). Stylistically, this coin probably fits best in the period of AD 600-650 ish.

The discovery of both gold and silver Merovingian coins in Britain is on the increase thanks to the recording of metal-detected finds, this field being one which I think is ripe for future research. Coins obviously require people to move them about, with finds like this suggestive of vibrant cross-channel networks of trade and communication existing at a time historically dismissed as relatively backwards. 

Although most Merovingian gold coin finds in Britain are stray losses or loosely grouped with other contemporary coins, there are exceptions - such as the 37 contained within the purse of the famous Sutton Hoo ship burial - now thought to be the king of East Anglia, Raedwald.

[John Conduitt]

That's a great coin. Yes the links between the Frisians, Merovingians and Anglo-Saxons were very close.

I think this is Merovingian.

Merovingian Denier, 700-725

Gaul. Silver, 11-12mm; 0.67g. Profile bust left, hair devolved to pellets, with Greek cross before; [ ]VANE. Lozenge with triangular corners and pellet centre; +[ ]DVOC (cf Prou 2872; Belfort 5758). Found near Newmarket, Suffolk, 2022 (EMC 2022.0337).

[CPK]

Great coin! I've been recently going through the Great Courses series on the Middle Ages. Lots of underappreciated but fascinating history.

[ominus1]

kool coin! 🙂