Top of page

About this Item

Title

  • Denier.

Summary

  • Charlemagne (742--814) was crowned emperor of the Romans in 800. Yet coins bearing his imperial title are so rare that it is believed that he had them minted only after 812, when he received recognition as emperor of the West by the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. This denier silver coin is typical of those produced during the Carolingian Renaissance, a period in which art, culture, and religion flourished under the influence of Charlemagne. Such coins include a classical imperial bust and a reverse side often inspired by Roman coinage: a city gate (at Arles, Rouen, or Trier), a ship (at Quentovic or Dorestad), minting tools (at Melle), or a temple such as here. The coins were marked with letters under the bust indicating where they were made. The M on this coin stands for Mainz; those marked with C were made in Cologne, F in Frankfurt, and V in Worms. Specimens without letters are attributable to Aix-la-Chapelle. This coin contains what appears to be an actual portrait of Charlemagne, making it comparable in importance to the literary portrait by Einhard in his biography of Charlemagne written shortly after the emperor's death or to the ninth-century equestrian statue of Charlemagne now in the Louvre Museum.

Names

  • Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814 Associated Name.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [0812 to 0814]

Headings

  • -  Germany--Rhineland Palatinate--Mainz
  • -  812 to 814
  • -  Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814
  • -  Coins
  • -  Coins, Carolingian
  • -  Kings and rulers
  • -  Portraits

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 coin: silver. 1.60 grams; 2 centimeters in diameter.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of France.
  • -  Content in Latin.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Arabic and Islamic Science and Its Influence on the Western Scientific Tradition: Historical and Political Background

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021669232

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814 Associated Name. Denier. Mainz Germany Rhineland Palatinate, 0812. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 0814] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669232/.

APA citation style:

Charlemagne, E. (0812) Denier. Mainz Germany Rhineland Palatinate, 0812. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 0814] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669232/.

MLA citation style:

Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814 Associated Name. Denier. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 0814] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021669232/>.