Carolingian silver denarius
8th–9th century ・ silver ・ 8th century ・ The Frankish kingdom
obverse
About the photos
The reverse is not shown on this page. Only the obverse is pictured.
A Carolingian silver denarius: a cross at the centre, and around it the royal legend CARLVS REX FR, Charles the king. It is the smallest piece, and the leading one, of the silver system Charlemagne set up — one libra = twenty solidi = 240 denarii. The reckoning of this coin reached east of the Rhine as well, took the name pfennig in the German-speaking world, and became the daily money of medieval Germany. This particular piece is a find excavated in England, and so also evidence that Frankish silver flowed across the sea. It is, quite literally, the point of departure for the long route that leads to the mark.