Rights Holder: Durham County Council
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Unique ID: DUR-184009
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
An early medieval gold Merovingian tremissis of the 'National gold' series dating to c. AD 580-670, probably struck in the Lozere region of France (see notes). Ref: compare with Grierson and Blackburn 1986 (MEC1) nos 422-30a, pl.20.
The obverse depicts a head facing right wearing a diadem and with an illegible inscription.The reverse shows a central chalice within a wreath-like and no inscription.
Notes:
Similar coins are illustrated in MEC 1 (Grierson and Blackburn 1986: nos. 422-430a, plate 20), with left facing bust and chalice on the reverse, minted in Banassac (Lozere, Aquitaine); however, the latter all have reverse inscriptions. A further example minted in Gavalorum (to the east of Banassac) is cited and illustrated by Prou (1892, Pl. XXX: 5) which does not have the reverse inscription, but does have the chalice surmounted by a cross (which DUR-184009 lacks). As such it is likely that DUR-184009 was minted in the Lozere region between the later 6th and mid 7th century AD.
This is a find of note and has been designated: Regional importance
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 580
Date to: Circa AD 670
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 1.07 mm
Weight: 0.9 g
Diameter: 11.56 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 30th September 2019 - Monday 30th September 2019
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Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Denomination: Tremissis
Ruler/issuer: Anonymous (Tremissis)
Category: Coin of Merovingian Francia
Type: Merovingian tremissis: Rigold 1975, 67a
Obverse description: Head facing right wearing a diadem and with an illegible inscription.
Obverse inscription: illegible
Reverse description: Central chalice within a wreath-like and no inscription.
Reverse inscription: none
Degree of wear: Slightly worn: very fine
No coin references available.
4 Figure: NZ1999
Four figure Latitude: 55.28476592
Four figure longitude: -1.70241078
1:25K map: NZ1999
1:10K map: NZ19NE
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grierson, P. and Blackburn, M.A.S. | 1986 | Medieval European Coinage, Volume I. The Early Middle Ages (5th-10th Centuries) | Cambridge | Cambridge University Press | |||
Prou, M | 1892 | Les monnaies merovingiennes | Paris | Rollin and Feuardent |