THE

AMERICAN

NUMISMATIC

MUSEUM

SOCIETY

NOTES
21

' NunisnATic
SOCIETY

THE

AMERICAN

//

NUMISMATIC

NEW

SOCIETY

YORK
1976

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CONTENTS

GREEK
Nancy M. Waggoner. Three Recent Greek Accessions
1
John W. Betlyon. A New Chronologyfor the Pre-Alexandrine
11
Coinage of Sidon
Orestes H. Zervos. The Delta Hoard ofPtolemaic "Alexanders,"
1896
37
ROMANANDBYZANTINE
Charles A. Hersh. A Tri-Denominational
Hoard of Early Roman
Silver Coins fromSicily
59
T. V. Buttrey. The Denarii of P. Crepusiusand Roman
67
Republican Mint Organization
William E. Metcalf. Early Anonymous Folles fromAntioch
and the Chronologyof Class A
109
MEDIAEVAL
Alan M. Stahl. The MerovingianCA Coinage of Austrasia
J. D. Brady. "Ego Sum Deus:" A MistakenLegend of Artois

129
153

ORIENTAL
Donald S. Whitcomb. The Frs Hoard: A Byid Hoard from
Frs Province, Iran
161
MODERN
Cornelius C. Vermeule. NumismaticArt in Americato 1796
251
R. W. Julian. The First Indian Peace Medal of the United States 257
INDEX
JohnR. Melville Jones. Index to AmericanNumismaticSociety
Museum Notes 1-20
261
iii

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THE

MEROVINGIAN

CA

COINAGE

OF AUSTRASIA
Alan M. Stahl

(Plate XIII)

When the Romans extended their authorityto the Gallic provinces

in the firstcenturyB.C., theybroughtwiththemelementsofcentralized
administrationand control.1One aspect of this was a monetarysystem
standardizedthroughoutmost of the empire. The Gallic mintsof Trier
and Lyon mintedcoins with the same compositionand denominations
as those in Palestine or in Africa. Five centuriesafter Caesar, in the
courseofthefifthcentury,the centralizedauthorityofRome lost control
over the European provinces. The successorgovernmentswere kingdoms with Germanicmonarchs;the rule of most of Gaul fell to the
Merovingianfamilyof Franki. The new rulers usually claimed to be
acting as agents of the Roman emperor,now safely settled in Constantinople. While this claim was littlemore than a pretensedesigned
to legitimizetheirrule over formerRoman citizens,the early Germanic
kings usually soughtto maintain Roman institutionsto the extent to
which they understoodthem.
Their imitationof the formsof Roman administrationwith little
of the contentis nowherebetterillustratedthan in their
comprehension
early coinage.2 As the Frankish kings established their power and
moved away fromsimpleimitationof Roman modelsin governingtheir
realms,they issued coins which were no longer merelycopies of the
1 Thispaperistheresult
ofresearch
seminar
oftheAmerican
begunatthesummer
Numismatic
Society.I wouldliketo thankthe staffof the Society,especially
Jeremiah
and advice. I wouldalsoliketo expressmy
Brady,fortheirassistance
forthecooperation
offered
appreciation
bythefollowing
and
people:Mm.Lafaurie
oftheBibliothque
M. Collo
t andMlle.Clermont
oftheMuses
Duplessy
Nationale;
de Metz;andMej.vanderPoeloftheMuseum
vanMiddelburg.
Allcoinsillustrated
are in theANS collection.
2 Fora survey
oflateRomanand earlyGermanic
coinagesee PierreLeGentilet la circulation
montaire
dansles royaumes
homme,"Le Monnayage
barbares
en occident,*'
RN 1943,pp. 45-112,and 1944,pp. 13-64.
129

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130

ALAN M. STAHL

earlierRoman coinageChlotar II, king of various parts of Gaul from

584 to 628, issued coins bearingthe obverselegendCLOTANRIVS REX
(Plate XIII, 1). The dies forthis coin are better engravedthan previous, purely imitative coinage with few letter reversals and a finer
modellingof the bust figure. The reverselegend reads VIITORIA CLOTARI. The lower limb of the cross is intersectedby two steps, and
there is a globe directlybeneath it. Flanking the cross, in the field,
are two registersof letters:on the firstline VI to 1. and VA to r., and
on the second V and II. The firstline may be an indicationof the city
of Viviersas mint. The VII of the second line is probably an imitation
of the same lettersappearingin the reversefieldof some Roman coins,
indicatingseven siliquae or carats,the weightof a tremissis. The type
is surroundedby a circleof pearls.
Coins bearinga royal name are unusual among the issues of Merovingian France; more typical is the coin illustratedon Plate XIII, 2.
This coin bears no indication of a governmentalmintingauthority
but ratherthe name of a place on the obverse and of a minteron the
reverse. The obversetype is still the Roman diademed bust, executed
withvaryingdegreesof skill. It is the styleof the diadem,of its knot,
and of the clothingof the bust which have oftenserved as the basis
forthe classificationand chronologyof this type of coin. The obverse
legendis partiallyoffflanforthis coin,but fromotherspecimensit can
be reconstructedas CABILLONO FIT- made in Cabillonus, that is
Chalon-sur-Sanein Burgundy.3 There are hundredsof place names
which appear on Merovingiancoins, often followedby the word fit,
as here,or the barbarismfitur. On many coins the place name is followedby a wordindicatingthe natureofthe place. Thus we findcivilas,
which may designate either the subdivisionof a Roman province or
the capital city of that region; vicus, a village; mallus, a word of presumed Germanicoriginindicatinga judicial meetingplace; villa, pre, a militarycamp.
sumably designatinga private estate; and Castrum
The nouns on the obverseare usually in the ablative case, which may
be an indicationeitherof location or of agent.
3 A. Belfort,
des monnaies
, vol. 1 (Paris,
gnrale
mrovingiennes
Description
1892),no.1200.

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE

131

The reversetype of such coins is usually a variation of the Roman

cross reverse,with a combinationof cross, steps, globes and wreath.
In the field are often two initials, which may indicate the minting
place; on our coin, the C and A correspondto Cabillono, the civitas
identifiedon the obverse. The legend of this coin (again reconstructed)
bears the names of two men, Bonefacius and Wintrio. Both of these
names are knownfromother coins of Chaln, wherethey are followed
by the word monetario,minter.
A similarcoin (Plate XIII, 3) has on the obverse MEITS,forMettis
(Metz), CIVETAT. The reverse bears the legend GOECIIVS MONET
and a Latin cross flanked by the letters C and A withina wreath.
On the basis of the CA, coins such as this have usually been considered
imitationsof the coinage of Chalon-sur-Sane. A closer examination,
however,of the CA coins of the Meuse and Moselle valleys (presentday
Lorraineand the heart of the Frankish kingdomof Austrasia) reveals
that ratherthan being imitationsof coins of Chaln, these Austrasian
fromthe Chaln coins and have a great
coins show clear differences
deal of internalconsistency.
CoinsofonlythreemintersofAustrasia(Theudelenus,Walfechramnus
and Domegiselus)bear the samereversetypesas thoseon coinsofChaln:
cross above a combinationof steps and globes, flankedby the letters
C and A. All of these three mintersalso produced coins with what
I shall term the "simple" Austrasian CA reverse type: Latin cross
flankedby the lettersC and A in a wreath or circle of triangles.4This
simplereverse,with no steps or globes, appears on no known coins of
Chaln. The bust on the Metz coin, although poorly executed, is of
typicallyAustrasian style,generallycorrespondingto the simple CA
reversetype. The diadem is completelypearled (as is the hair on occasion), the neck is a detached rectangle,and the torso is a trapezoid
bearing symmetricaldecoration. None of these attributesis typical
of the busts on the coins of Chaln. While it is extremelyrare to find
4 Therearefurther
coinswithCA onthereverse
Austrasian
whichhavesuchadwreathas dotsand additional
to the simpletypeof crosswithin
letters.
ditions
on thesimpletypeand shallnotincludethemin
thesecoinsvariations
I consider
letters
other
thisstudyofthebasicgroupitself.NorshallI includecoinsbearing
reversal
from
other
letter
AD; AA,AV,andCC couldbe derived
thanCAoritsmirror
suchas MA,VIIoralphaomega
.
combinations

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132

ALAN M. STAHL

the C and A reversedon coins of Chaln,on Austrasian coins mirror

reversalis foundin the fieldsof almost one-thirdof the coins.
The simpleCA reversetypeappears on 100 different
coinsofAustrasia,
the
names
of
40
minters
and
18
bearing
legible place names, of which
8 can be identifiedwith certainty: Metz, Verdun, Toul, Dieulouard,
Vic, Moyenvic,Marsal and Dieuze. All fall withinthe late Roman province ofBelgica I, comprisedof the cioitatesof Metz, Verdun,Toul and
Trier; most are in the regionof Metz. As only22 of the 100 coin types
survivein morethan one specimen,it is probablethat therewere more
types mintedthan are known today. There are three minterswhose
names appear on the coins of more than one mintingplace withinthe
group;such linksamongthesemintsmay proveto have been even more
commonas furthercoins are discoveredand reported. The two known
die links within the group are between coins bearingthe same place
names and minter(Metz-Ansoaldusand Metz-Theudelenus).
The assumption that the Austrasian CA coins were imitationsof
those of Chaln has led previouscommentatorsto a reconstruction
of
a trade networkfrom the Mediterranean,throughChaln, into the
Frankishheartlandof the Meuse and Moselle valleys.6 An examination
of the actual locationsof findsof Chaln and Austrasiancoins suggests
a differentpicture. On the map the find spots of Chaln coins are
indicated by crosses.4 It will be noted that they are located chiefly
withinBurgundyand in southwestFrance. No Chaln coins have been
reportedfor the valleys of the Rhine, the Moselle or the Meuse, nor
along the coast of the North Sea. The find spots for the Austrasian
CA coins(circleson the map) are limitedto northeastFrance,theNetherlands, Germanyand England. Only in the Crondallhoard in southern
England do thesetwo distributions
overlap. Thereis thus no indication
on the basis of findsthat Chaln coins were commoncurrencywithin
Austrasia or withinits commericalsphere.
6 LeGentilhomme,
"Monnayage,"
p. 25.
6 The distribution
offindsof Merovingian
coinsof Chalnis derivedfromthe
of JeanLafaurie,"Les Routescommerciales
"Tableprovisoire"
indiques
par les
montaires
Monetae scambi
ettrouvailles
trsors
nell'alto
medioevo
mrovingiennes,"
and literature
forall Austrasian
CA coins
(Spoleto,1961),p. 273. The locations
aregivenintheAppendix
below.
incontext
found

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133
Table I
Comparisonof Weight Distributions

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134

ALAN M. STAHL

In Tibie I a metrologicalcomparisonis made of the CA marked

coins of Austrasia with those of Chaln.7 While the total numberof
coins (especiallythose of Chaln) is too low forsophisticatedstatistical
analysis, it is apparent that the CA coinage shows at least as much
as thatofChaln. More than70 percentof the coins of both
homogeneity
groupsfall between1.15 and 1.34 g., but the coins of Austrasia show a
greaterconcentration(40 percent)in the 1.25-1.29 range than those of
Chaln(24 percent)and have a highermean weight(1.22 g as compared
with 1.16). Making allowances for the limited number of specimens
in preservationand reporting,we
and possible systematicdifferences
are stillpermittedto notethat the Austrasiancoinsappear to have been
mintedon a stricterstandardthan those of Chaln. This observation
argues furtheragainst viewing these Austrasian coins as occasional
imitationsof a popular currency.
In view of theirstylisticunity,the restrictedrange of mintingsites,
the linksamong the mints,the limitedarea of distributionand the relatively high metrologicalstandards, the Austrasian CA coins merit
considerationas a separate series. The Austrasiantype was probably
originallyderivedfroma Chaln model, but it developed quicklyinto
an independentcoinage. The CA itself is the only indication these
coins bear of this model.
The most importantfact to ascertainabout this seriesis, of course,
its chronology. There are few royal issues among Merovingiancoins,
and none which are associated with the Austrasian CA reversetype.
By generalstylisticanalogy withroyal issues, it is likelythat the Austrasian CA coinage (as well as most other minter-signedgold coins)
falls between the last decade of the sixth centuryand the middle of
the seventh. One possibilityfora closerdatinglies in the identification
of some of the men whose names appear^on the coins as minters.
7 In graphing
coinsonenotesa clustering
at thevalues
theweights
ofall reported
theresult
ofnineteenth-century
determinations
1.20,1.25,and1.30. Thisisevidently
I havetherefore
madeon scalesaccurateonlyto .05g. In makingcalculations
forthe
ofBelfert.Thisaccounts
excluded
onlyin thecatalogue
weights
reported
ofcoinsandthoseusedingraphs
between
figures
givenfortotalnumbers
discrepancy
forweights
in Prou's
is notobservable
andanalysis.Thesameclustering
reported
on the moreaccuratescaleof
all coinstherewereweighed
catalogue;
apparently
Nationale.
theBibliothque

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE

135

The status of these men is an open question; they have been variously identifiedas royal mint officials,local authorities,wealthy
individualscoiningprivate supplies of gold, and simplythe goldsmiths
who engravedthe dies and struckthe coins.8
Of the thousandsof names which appear as minterson Merovingian
coins, thus far only one has been convincinglyidentifiedwith an individual known from documentarysources. This is Eligius, or St.
Eloi, Bishop of Noyon. Eligius was born in 590 in Limoges and was
apprenticedto a goldsmithwho directedthe "publicamfiscalismonetiae
officinam."9Eligius then leftLimoges and came to the court of King
ChlotarII of Neustria. He remainedin the courtof Chlotarand of his
on Dagobert I and grandsonClovis II and was eventuallygrantedthe
positionof Bishop of Noyon. The minter'sname,Eligius,appearson the
reverseof coins whose obverse legends bear the names of these same
three kings; the identificationof this minter'sname with that of the
goldsmithand courtieris reasonable and widely accepted. This identification,however,is of little value for determiningthe status of a
. Eligius was certainlya royal official,but as a bishop he
monetarius
had his own regionalauthority. He was, moreover,the possessorof significantpersonalwealth and, in fact,trainedas a goldsmith.His name
does not appear on any coins of Austrasia.
To judge fromsurvivingcoins, the principalAustrasianminterwas
coinsofhis withthe simple
Ansoaldusof Metz. We knowof 13 different
CA reverse,of whicha total of 18 survivingspecimensare reported,the
highesttotals for any Austrasian minter(see Appendix below, Metz).
His coins have been found in the Netherlands,in Germanyand in
England. The chronicleascribedto Fredegariusgives the name Ansoaldus fora legate sent by the Frankish king Chlotarin 623 to Charoald,
King of the Lombards.10A charterof Eligius,in his capacityas Bishop
8 A reviewof evidenceand theories
in AdolpheDieudonn,
"Les
is presented
de l'coledes Chartes
Montaires
1942,pp. 20-51.
Bibliothque
mrovingiens,"
9 "Vita S. Eligii,"Monumenta
Historiae
Germaniae
RerumMero
, Scriptores
ed.
B.
Krusch
vol.
(Hanover,
1902),pp.634-742;
(hereafter
MGHSRM) 4,
vingicarum
CursusCompletus
, SeriesLatina,vol.87 (Paris,1863),cols.477Patrologiae
Migne,
594.
10TheFourth
BookoftheChronicle
, ed. J. M. Wallace-HadriU
(LonofFredegar
of
odn, 1960),p. 42. Thereis also an Ansoaldusin the HistoriaFrancorum

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136

ALAN M. STAHL

of Noyon,lists the name Ansoaldus among the witnesses.11This document is dated November22, 632, and concernsthe grant of a plot of
land to the newlyfoundedmonasteryof Solignac,near Limoges. There
is no place of issue given. Of the 22 witnesses,8 have been identified
by the editoras bishops,mostlyfromNeustria. Only one of the other
witnesseshas been identified: Chramnolenus,Duke of Besanon. The
ofan importantcount
presenceof so manybishopsand theidentification
lead to the conjecturethat this charterwas drawnup at the Neustrian
court. We would then have a second documentidentifying
Ansoaldus
with the court of the King of Neustria. If this man was the same as
the Ansoaldus responsibleforthe coinage of Metz, this mintingis best
ascribedto the periodbetween628 and 632, when Dagobert I was king
of both Neustriaand Austrasia.
Anothername whichappears on the CA coins of Metz is Godecnus.
In a letter writtenca. 640-44 to Desiderius,Bishop of Cahors,Abbo,
Bishop of Metz,writesof sending"exemplariaper filiovestro,germano
meo Godeo."12 While this referencegives but slightinformationon
the status of Godecnus,it does presentus with an individualwho was
brotherto the Bishop of Metz and whose name correspondsto one on
the coins of this city. This referenceto Godecnus(datable only by the
episcopates of the recipientof the correspondents)is from approximately the same period as that inferredfor Ansoaldus.
It is apparent that the dating of Merovingiancoins throughthe
identificationof minterswith documentsis extremelyhypothetical.
The lengthof activityof an individualand the recurrenceof the same
name in several generationsincrease the marginsof error. The fact
that the names of none of the men knownto have been importantin
Austrasiain the early seventhcentury(e.g. Arnulf,Pippin) appear on
any of the coins,shouldadd furthercautionto this endeavor.
A moreusual methodforestablishinga chronologyforundated coins
is throughan examinationof coins foundin association with artifacts
or in hoards with other coins. The Merovingianperiod has produced
ofTours(MGHSRM, vol. 1 pt. 1 (Hanover,
1884,repr.1951)eh. VII, 7
Gregory
theearliest
datessuggested
andch.VIII, 1). Thismanwas activein 585,before
forminter-signed
coinage.
11MGHSRM, vol. 4, pp. 743-49.
12MGHSRM,Epistolae,
vol. 3, ed. W. Arndt(Berlin,1892)p. 210.

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE

137

a wealth of archaeologicalmaterial in the formof equipped graves,

but little that has proved helpfulin dating coins. The only findsin
contextof AustrasianCA coins are in an otherwiseunequipped grave
in Bttelborn,Germany,13
and in an unpublishedMerovingiancemetery
at Manre,Ardennes.14
There are only a fewhoardswhichcontainminter-signed
Merovingian
While
coins.
such
the
contains
about
40
and
coins,
only
gold
largest
the relative chronologyof the importanthoards has been generally
established,there is still controversyas to theirabsolute dating. The
rare royal (and hence datable) coins that appear in the hoards are of
value only for determininga terminuspost quem for the composition.
The most thoroughrecent discussionof the major hoards has been in
two articlesby Jean Lafaurie,withproposalsfordatingbased primarily
on stylisticcriteria.15Lafaurie places the Escharen hoard,foundin the
Netherlands,in the decade around 600. Philip Griersonhas suggested
a date 15 to 20 years later forit.16 Lafaurie gives a date of ca. 625 for
the coinsof the Sutton Hoo ship burial in England, considerablyearlier
than his own previousestimates. Again Griersonhas proposeda later
dating. Neitherof these hoards containsAustrasian CA coins; Sutton
reversetype. This fact
Hoo containsa coin of Metz with a different
cannot, however,be used in establishinga starting date for the CA
series;absence of coinsfromsuch small collectionsis of courseindicative
of nothing,and it has not been establishedthat only one type of coin
was mintedat one place at one time.
13Joachim
austrasische
Mnzdatierte
1935),no.Ml14.
(Berlin,
Grabfunde
Werner,
14Sixcoinswerediscovered
"Trouvailles
tedbyJeanLafaurie,
in1962-63
andrepoi
BSFN Jan.1972,pp. 145-47.
Manre(Ardennes),"
de monnaies
mrovingiennes
fourcoins,twoofwhichhavesimpleCA
Onegraveis believedto havecontained
or
on specific
ieversetypes.Thesecoinsarealmostwhite,butno reports
gravity
forthem.Theyweigh1.05 and
have beenpublished
othertestsof composition
CA
twocoins,onewiththesimple
Another
1.17g respectively.
gravecontained
arerepoi
reverse.Again,notestsofcomposition
only0.68g.
ted;theCA coinweighs
beengivenforthedating
norhasan estimate
arereported,
Noother
gravefurnishings
as a whole.
ofthecemetery
16 "Le Trsord'Escharen
RN 1959-60,pp. 153-210;"Routescom(Pays-bas),"
merciales,"
pp. 216-78.
1Seetheexchange
inMoneta
escambi,
andGrierson
between
Lafaurie
pp.326-29.

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138

ALAN M. STAHL

There are three major hoards which do contain Australian CA

coins: the St. Aubin hoard fromwithinAustrasia; the Nietap hoard
fromthe Netherlands;and the Crondallhoard fromsouthernEngland.
By a stylisticcomparisonwith royal issues, Lafaurie has placed the
St. Aubin hoardin the decade 630-39. On thebasis ofthelack ofcertain
types of coins and the generallygood execution of the engraving,he
has assigneda date of 630 to 635 fcrthe Nietap hoard. AlthoughC. H.
V. Sutherlandproposed a date of ca. 670 forthe Crondallhoard as a
whole,17Lafaurie has given the date of 640 forthe Merovingiancoins
of this mixed English and continentalhoard. Thus, primarilyon the
basis ofstylisticcomparisons(and notwithoutsomechallenges),Lafaurie
has givendates in the 630 to 640 periodforall threehoardswhichcontain
Austrasian CA coins.
the chronologyof MerovinA less subjectivemethodfordetermining
gian coinsmay lie in an examinationoftheircompositionand metrology.
In a recent (and as yet only incompletelypublished) study of royal
coins,J. P. C. Kent has determinedthat the percentageof gold in Merovingian "gold" coins (which are actually an alloy of gold and silver)
decreased in the course of the seventh century.18This decrease was
relativelysteady except forthe decade 630-39 when,supposedlyas the
result of an immensetributefromthe Visigoths,the gold contentof
royal coins is representedas having shot up suddenly,only to plunge
well below previouslevels withinthe decade. It is not knownwhether
the patternis the same fornon royal coins as these are, of course,undated.
Table II presentsa comparisonof the gold content of royal coins
with that of the major hoards and the Austrasian CA coins.19 The
hoardsare arrangedin presumedchronologicalorderand, like the royal
coins, show a declinein mean gold contentover time. The mean gold
content(measured by specificgravitydeterminations)of the coins in
17C. H. V. Sutherland,
GoldCoinagein theLightof theCrondall
Anglo-Saxon
Hoard(London,1948),p. 13.
18J. P. C. Kent,"GoldStandards
a.d. 580-700,
oftheMerovingian
Coinage,
, ed. E. T. Hall and D. M.
Methods
Coinage
of Ancient
Investigation
of Chemical
Metealf
1972),pp.69-74.
(London,
19W.A. Oddy,"TheAnalysis
GoldCoins,Methods
ofFourHoardsofMerovingian
,pp.111-25;valuesfortheSt.Aubinhoardarenotavailable.
Investigation
ofChemical

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139

^OOOOOOOO
- - i
i
i
g
8

I
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g-

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O

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"

8-

OJ <0 00
oo
r~2
i*
/
s

01~
5
w
i

//

/
/

n
o
3
u
S.
o
p
o
H-t
O
o^
S

-r

i<T)""
O
<5
*ou
o

0
g.

3
^
tr

/
'I
3

ESCHARENHOARD N4I

O
3
S

3/
Jt

NIETAPHOARD N*23

3
*
o
a

3/
+
I/
I
3/
f

CRONDALLHOARD N24

CA COINS Nll
AUSTRASIAN

'l
I
I
w o
OOOOOO

x/i
(D
1
O

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SUTTONHOOBURIAL N*37

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E

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140

ALAN M. STAHL
Table III
Comparisonof Gold Contentby Specific Gravity

theNietaphoard,
76.8 percentand oftheMerovingiancoinsoftheCrondall
61
.1
hoard,
percent,wouldplace themintheperiod610-30,assumingnondo not show the same wild fluctuationsas aregivenforroyal
coins
royal
ones. This would be the mintingdate ofthe average coinin each hoard;
the compositionof a hoard is determinedby its mostrecentcoin. Thus
the 630-40 dates proposed for these hoards on the basis of stylistic
comparisonsare consistentwith the evidencefroman analysis of their
gold content. The relationshipof the Austrasian CA coins to these
hoards can best be appreciatedby examiningthe bar graphs of Table
III. In the Nietap hoard the singleAustrasiancoin has the lowestgold
content;in the presumablylater Crondallhoard the Austrasian coins
are fairlywell distributed. The mean gold contentfor all measured

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141

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142

ALAN M. STAHL

AustrasianCA coins is 57.3 percent,placing them equivalent to the

630-39 decade in the graph of royal coins.
An examination of weight standards yields similar results. As it
was foundby Kent that thereis a separate standardof gold contentfor
coins of the southof France, it is reasonableto assume that such a differencemightexist in metrology. In constructingTable IV I have
thereforeincluded only royal coins produced outside of Provence.
With the exceptionof the coins of ChlotarII (584-628), thereis a perceptible diminutionin the mean weight of these coins. The drop in
the weightof the coins of Chlotarmay be due to the small numberof
coins(11) froma reignof 44 years,or to the incorrectattributionto this
monarchof coins mintedfor his great grandson,Chlotar III (657-73).
The coinsfromthe hoards,again arrangedin presumedchronological
order,show a decline in mean weights,but only the decline fromthe
Escharen hoard to the Sutton Hoo burial is statisticallysignificant.20
The mean weight of the coins from the Escharen hoard, 1.33 g, is
near that of the coinage of ChildebertII (575-96). The mean weights
of the otherfourhoards (1.26-1.28 g) correspondto those of the coins
of CharibertII and Dagobert I (628-38). There is a significantdecline
fromthe mean weightsof these hoards to the 1.22 gram mean weight
of all AustrasianCA coins. The low weightfor the Austrasian coins
may be a resultofthe large numberofthemwhichare below the weight
of 1.20 grams,a phenomenonnot presentin the hoards (compareTable I with Table V). The Austrasiangroup may contain coins minted
afterthose in the hoards,perhapslater imitationsof a bettercontrolled
issue, or substandardcontemporarycoins which mightnot have been
accepted in long range trade. If these coins below 1.20 g are elimi20A t-testdoneonthemeanweights
hoardandthose
ofthecoinsintheEscharen
intheSutton
Hooburial
a tof3.33anda *Plessthan.01. Thustheprobability
yields
thatthisdeclineis theresultofchanceis lessthanonein a hundred.However,
with
oftheSuttonHoo coinscompared
thesamecalculations
forthemeanweight
andSt. Aubinyields
hoardsof Nietap,Grondali
themeanweight
ofthecombined
infour
that
0.2 and0.3. Thusthereisaboutonechance
a /of1.2anda *P between
standards.
inweight
rather
istheresult
thanofa realdifference
thisdecline
ofchance
and St. Aubinhoardsto the
Thedecline
oftheNietap,Grondali
from
theweights
CA coinsyieldsa t of 3.0 and a *P less than.01;
meanweight
ofall Austrasian
a significant
decline.

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143
Table V
Comparisonof Weight Distributions

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144

ALAN M. STAHL

nated fromcalculations,the mean weightof the AustrasianCA coins

comes to 1.25 g, closer to the 1.26-1.27 mean of the period 62836 than to the 1.20 of the period638-56.
The different
types of evidence examinedall point to a centraldate
of 630^0 forthe AustrasianCA coins. The beginningof the seriesmay
fall in the preceding decade, and some such coins may have been
produced for an unknown period afterward. The three Austrasian
minterswho minted imitationsof Chaln coins as well as Austrasian
CA type coins were probablythe ones who introducedthe CA to the

FIND SITES

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE

145

reversefieldofthe coinageofAustrasia. The transitionto the simplified

Austrasian type may represent a consciouslyintroducedchange in
type and an attemptto standardizea regional coinage.
Four of the mintingsites appearing on the Austrasian CA coins
(presentday Dieuze, Marsal, Moyenvicand Vic-sur-Seille)are situated
in the Saulnois, south of Metz along the riverSeille at intervalsof just
a fewkilometers.The Seille is a saline stream,and these townswere of
great importancein ancient and mediaeval times as suppliersof salt
whichwas shippedfromMetz to an extendedregion.21Theirappearance
on the coins of the seventhcenturyis evidenceof the economicimportance of thisregionin the Merovingianperiodas well.
The geographicallyrestrictednatureof the mintingof AustrasianCA
coins points to a regionalunity largerthan the individual civitas but
smallerthan the kingdomof Austrasia,an area definedby the vicissitudes of partible inheritance,frequentlychangingin extent and alliances. The mintingarea lies withinthe formerRoman province of
Belgica I, an entitywhose formalexistencesurvivedonly in termsof
the authorityof the Archbishopof Trier. This area can now be recognized to have been a unifiedmonetaryregion centeredin the city of
Metz, home of powerful Frankish families,and the salt-producing
centersof the Saulnois.
APPENDIX
This is a listingof coins withthe simpleAustrasian CA reversetype.
The coins are arrangedaccordingto the place names whichappear on
them,firstthosewhichcan be reasonablyidentifiedwithmodernplaces,
is doubtfulcr impossible. The place
then thoseforwhichidentification
name is given firstas it appears on the coins,followedby the modern
equivalent. There followsa referencefor the earliest appearance of
21MichelRoblin,"Salineset fontaines
nationaldessocits
sales,"93eCongrs
savantes
(Tours,1968),Sectiond'archologie,
p. 194; R. P. Franoisde Dainville,
"Cartesdu sel,"Le Roledu sel dansl'histoire
, ed. M. Mollat(Paris,1968),p. 32La Villede Metzaux XIIIe et XIVe sicles(Nancy,1950),
33; JeanSchneider,
"Die merowingische
im Gebietvon oberer
p. 12; IngridHeidrich,
Mnzprgung
38 (1974),89.
latter,
Maas,MoselundSeille,"Rheinische
Vierteljdhrsb

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146

ALAN M. STAHL

the namein documents,its date and the originalform. Wherereferences

to classical worksappear, the information
was obtained fromDTF (see
Within
the
each
coins
are
place
arrangedaccordingto mintes
below).
name. Each entryrepresentsone coin type: firstthere is the number
of reportedspecimensin parentheses,then the catalogue number (or
numbers)ofBelfort,then referencesto collectionsand hoards,followed
by informationon findspots and die links.
The onlygeneralcatalogue of Merovingiancoins,containingnumerous
errorsand no photographsis A. Belfort,Descriptiongnraledes mon. 5 vols. Paris, 1892-95. The followingreference
naies mrovingiennes
worksare cited in discussionsof place name identifications:
de la France (DTF): Menrlhe. H. Lepage.
Dictionnairetopographique
Paris, 1862. Meuse. F. Lienard. Paris, 1872. Moselle. E. de Bouteiller. Paris, 1874. BN The names and boundariesof these departmentshave been changedsince the publicationof these volumes.
M. Toponymisch
woordenboek
van Belgie,Nederland, LuxemGysseling,
en
West-Duitsland.
,
burgNoord-Frankrijk
Belgischinteruniversitair
voor
1960.
centrum
Neerlandistiek,
The collectionsbelow contain,or contained,Austrasian CA coins:
Bourgey,mile (auctioneer). Sale of Dec. 2, 1964.
Bourgey,tienne (auctioneer). Sale of Dec. 15, 1924.
Cahn, A. E. (auctioneer). Sale of March 15, 1928.
Frstenberg. Sale by Cahn, Dec. 14, 1932.
Lejeune. Sale by Peus, March 15, 1954.
London. British Museum (BM). "Analyses of MerovingianCoins in
the BritishMuseum,"Methodsof ChemicalInvestigationofAncient
Coinage, ed. E. T. Hall and D. M. Metealf(London,1972),pp. 100-7.
Metz. Muses de Metz.
Middelburg.Museum van Middelburg,Zeeland, Netherlands.
Motte. Sale by mile Bourgey,Nov. 12, 1951.
New York. AmericanNumismaticSociety (ANS).
Paris.BibliothqueNationale(BN). M.Prou.Les Monnaiesmrovingiennes. Cataloguedes monnaiesfranaisesde la Bibliothque
Nationale.
Paris, 1892; Supplementin RN 1896.

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE

147

Perregaux. Sale by Mnzen und Medaillen,Dec. 8, 1949.

Ratto, R. (auctioneer).Sale of Dec. 9, 1930.
Three hoards contain AustrasianCA coins:
Crondall.C. H. V. Sutherland.Anglo-SaxonGold Coinagein theLight
of the CrondallHoard. London, 1948.
Nietap. P. C. J. A.Boeles, "Merovingischemuntenvan hettypeDonrijp
en de vondst van Nietap", Een kwarteeuwoudheidkundig
bodem
en Nederland: Gedenkboek
onderzoek
voorA. E. van Giffen.(Meppel,
1947), pp. 369-84.
St. Aubin. L. Maxe-Werly."Trouvaillede Saint-Aubin(Meuse)," RN
1890, pp. 12-53.
The followingworks contain informationon additional AustrasianCA
coins:
Trientenvon Altenwalde,"Die
Berghaus,Peter. "Die merowingischen
Kunde 1961, pp. 43-62.
imRheinland.DsHagen, Wilhelmine.MnzprgungundGeldumlauf
1968.
seldorf,
Lafaurie, Jean. "Trouvailles de monnaies mrovingiennes Manre
(Ardennes)."BSFN (Jan., 1972), pp. 145-47.
Werner,Joachim.MnzdatierteaustrasischeGrabfunde.
Berlin, 1935.
Identifiable Place Names
Bodesio vico. Vic-sur-Seille(Moselle). DTF : 757, 777, "Bodesius vicus."
Bosoaldus
(1) Belfort896, 897.
Dommolenus (1) Belfort890.
Fainulfus
(1) Belfort898. BN 951.
Madelinus
(1) BN, 952A.
Trasoaldus
(1) Belfort891.
(2) Belfort892, 893. BN 950
(1) Belfort894. BN 949.
(1) Belfort895. Middelburg23. Found at Domburg (Zeeland, Netherlands).
(1) Belfort6050.
(1) Lafaurie2. Found at Manre.

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148

ALAN M. STAHL

Doso vico. Dieuze (Moselle). DTF : 1066, "Duosa curtis."

Bertoaldus
(1) Belfort1815.
Marsallo. Marsal (Moselle). DTF : A.D. 44, "Marsallo."
Fati
(1) Belfort2412. BN 969a; Motte95.
Fulunus
(1) Belfort2407. BN 965.
Garoaldus
(1) Belfort2420. Metz 33.
Gisoaldus
(4) Belfort2419. BN 966; Frstenberg1059;
Metz 32. Crondallhoard 4.
Landoaldus
Belfort
2414, 2415. BN 967. One found at
(2)
Fresne (Meuse).
(1) Belfort2416.
Toto
(1) Belfort2408. BN 968.
Mediano vico. Moyenvic(Moselle). DTF : 836, "Mediano vico."
Bertemundus (1) Belfort2847. BN 972,
Garoaldus
(1) Belfort2843. BN 973.
Theudemundus (1) Belfort2837. Frstenberg1083.
Trasulfus
(2) Belfort2841, 2842. BN 974.
Walfechramnus(li Belfort2832. Metz 41
(4) Belfort2833, 2834. BN 971; Metz 48; Frstenberg1084.
-ermanus
Belfort
2845. BN 975.
(1)
-undovaidus
Belfort
2844.
(1)
Mettis. Metz (Moselle). Notitia Dignitatum; Ammianus Marcellinus:
"Mettis."
Ansoaldus
(1) Belfort2924. BN 939.
(2) Belfort2925. WernerMl 14. One found at
Bttelborn(Kr. Gros gerau).
Belfort
2926. BN 937.
(1)
(2) Belfort2927, 2930. Frstenberg106S. Obverse die link with Metz 38.
(1) Belfort2928. BN 938.
(1) Belfort2929. Frstenberg1070.
(1) Belfort2932. Middelburg19. Found at Domburg.
(1) Lejeune 2072.
(1) BM 92.
(2) BM 91. Crondall5.

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE

Godecnus

Landoaldus

Theudelenus

(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(l
(2)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(2)
(1)

149

Metz 37; Cahn 135. Crondall6.

Metz 38. Obversedie linkwithBelfort2927.
Metz 39.
Belfort2935. BN 943.
ANS 51.
Metz 39A.
Belfort2936. BN 941.
Belfort2937. BN 942.
Belfort2938.
Belfort2953. BN 932. Obversedie linkwith
BN 931bis.
Belfort2954. BN 933; Middelburg20. One
found at Domburg.
Belfort2955. tienneBourgey154.
Belfort2956. BN 934.
Belfort2957. Nielap 2. One foundin Frisia.
Belfort2958. Frstenberg1074.
Belfort2960. BN 935; Frstenberg1075.
BN 931bis. Obverse die link with Belfort
2953.
BM 93.
Belfort2931. BN 936.
Metz 36.

(1)
(1)
(1)
Dieulouard
Scarponna.
(Meurthe-et-Moselle),formerly Charpeigne.
AntonineItinerary,AmmianusMarcellinus:"Scarponna."
Fainulfus:
(1) Beifort4006. Perregaux398.
(1) Beifort4007. BN 995.
(1) Beifort4008.
(1) Beifort4009.
(2) Beifort4010, 4013. Ratto 2457.
(2) Belfort4011, 4012. BN 994; Metz 45.
Waregiselus
(3) Beifort4014. BN 992; Perregaux399.
(2) Beifort4015. BN 993; Frstenberg1016.
AntonineItinerary,PeutingsrTable:
Tullo. Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle).
"Tulium."
Ludo
(2) Belfort4505.
Illegible

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150

ALAN M. STAHL

Viriduno. Verdun (Meuse). Antonine Itinerary, Notitia Galliarum:

Viridunum.
Bertoaldus
(1) Belfort4771.
Mundericus
(2) Belfort4751, 4772. St. Aubin 4.
Doubtful or Unidentified Place Names
Arlavis mallo.
Ardulfus
(1) Belfort315. BN 1009.
Billaco vico (?). PossiblyWelschbillig(Kr. Trier). Gysseling:798-814.,
"Billiaco."
Berteiricus
(1) Beifort860, 2031.
Botanisat vico.
Landilinus
(2) Belfort926. BN 1007; Middelburg25. One
foundat Thionville(Moselle), one at Domburg.
Caino Castro.
Cicoaldus
(1) Belfort1317. BN 373.
Campione mallo.
Adeleno
(1) Belfort1363. Frstenberg1017.
Landelino
(1) Belfort1362. BN 1010.
Yvois.
as Carignan(Ardennes),formerly
identified
been
Has
Epocio (?).
Antonine Itinerary: "Epoisso."
Mannus
(2) Belfort27, 1857. BN 912, 913.
(1) Belfort1855, 1856, 6174. BN 911.
(1) mile Bourgey15.
identifiedas Mairy(Moselle) and Montmdy
been
Has
mallo.
Matiriaco
(Meuse). DTF : 634, "Madiaco"; 894, "Madaria."
Theudelenus
(2) Belfort2789, 2791. BN 915, 916.
(1) Belfort2790.
Warimundus (1) Belfort2792.
(1) Belfort2794. BN 917.
(1) Belfort2385, 6237. BN 918.
Illegible
Mosomo castro. Could be a camp anywherealorg Meuse river (Lat.
Mosa); possiblyat site of Mouzon (Ardennes)or Mousscn(Meurtheet-Moselle).
Bertacharius (1) Belfort3082. Frstenberg1082.

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MEROVINGIAN CA COINAGE
Theudemarus

151

Belfort3076. BN 1043.
Belfort3077. BN 1042.
Belfort3078. BN 1041.
Berghaus 15a. Found at Altenwpld (Kr.
Land Hadeln).
Palaciolo. Could be Pfalzel (Kr. Trier) or Palzem (Kr. Saarburg).
Gysseling:732-33, "Paladium."
Domegiselus
(2) Beifort3317. BN 923; Hagen, p. 36. One
foundin Lorraine.
Scola. May referto a royal court or guard.
Inte
(2) Belfort3521, 6344. St. Aubin 14.
Illegible.
Bobo
(1) Belfort5523. Middelburg 24. Found at
Domburg.
Theudenus
(1) Belfort3995. Frstenberg1058.
Illegible
(1) Belfort1742. BN 1024bis;Frstenberg1034.
(1) Beifort2029. BN 1022.
(1) Beifort4649, 4652. BN 1024.
(1) Beifort4651, 5519. BN 1021.
(1) Beifort5524. St. Aubin 11.
(1) Belfort5527. BN 1026.
(1) Belfort5528. BN 1027.
(1) Lafaurie3. Found at Manre (Ardennes).
(1) Lafaurie 5. Found at Manre (Ardennes).
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

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XIII

CA COINAGE

OF AUSTRASIA

"EGO SUM DEUS"

NUMISMATIC

ART IN AMERICA

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