1st Edition

Carolingian Coinage and the Vikings Studies on Power and Trade in the 9th Century

By Simon Coupland Copyright 2007
    336 Pages
    by Routledge

    Historians and numismatists alike will welcome the appearance of this volume, which brings together for the first time Simon Coupland's series of highly significant articles on Carolingian coinage. The author draws out the economic and political implications of coin types and coin hoards from the reign of Charlemagne to the Edict of Pîtres in 864. This numismatic survey is complemented by a number of other studies which use the evidence of coinage and contemporary texts to consider aspects of trade and power in the ninth century, particularly the impact of the Viking raids. These include pieces on the important emporia of Dorestad and Quentovic, on the tributes paid to the Scandinavian raiders and the deals made with individual Viking leaders, and on the destination of the loot which was taken and its possible influence on the development of an indigenous Scandinavian coinage. Combining these articles from the specialist historical and numismatic publications in which they originally appeared will be of great value to students of Carolingian history, economics and politics, as well as numismatists.

    Contents: Preface; Charlemagne's coinage: ideology and economy; In palatio nostro: les monnaies palatines de Charlemagne; Money and coinage under Louis the Pious; La chronologie des émissions monétaires de Louis le Pieux (814-840); The Trier Mint 822-840; A die-link between coins of Louis the Pious and Lothar I; The coinage of Lothar I (840-855); The coinages of Pippin I and II of Aquitaine; The early coinage of Charles the Bald, 840-864; L'article XI de l'Edit de Pîtres du 25 juin 864; Dorestad in the 9th century: the numismatic evidence; From poachers to gamekeepers: Scandinavian warlords and Carolingian kings; Trading places: Quentovic and Dorestad reassessed; The Frankish tribute payments to the Vikings and their consequences; Carolingian coinage and Scandinavian silver; Addenda and corrigenda; Index.

    Biography

    Revd Dr Simon Coupland is an Independent Scholar.

    ’This collection, spanning twenty years of scholarship, conveniently packages together several important and influential studies with others, equally pointed but less well known, which throw light on almost one hundred years of Carolingian history, particularly the years from 768 to 864.’ English Historical Review