Aachen penny of Charlemagne

The Aachen Karlsdenar, a Carolingian silver coin was salvaged on 22 February 2008 from the foundation area of the Palatine Chapel in Aachen during archaeological work in the Northeast yoke of hexadecagon. This is in Aachen, the first find of a coin from the time of Charlemagne.

Description of the coin

The obverse of the coin shows in the middle of a cross with the inscription CARLVS REX FR [ ANCORVM ], which means Charles, king of the Franks; as the delimiter is a cross between FR and CARLVS. On the back of the famous Charles Monogram is shown with the v -shaped execution line in the middle. In this type of coin is there as a transcription of the respective Mint. The Aachen Fund coin of 2008 bears the inscription METVLLO. The silver denarius was in the period after 794 in the town of Melle, Poitou-Charentes region (today's France) coined.

In the coinage reform of 792/794 was determined that from a pound of silver, 20 shillings or 240 pence ( denarii ) must be marked. The introduction of the new coins with a largely unified coin design ( novi denarii ) in the Frankish empire was decided at the Frankfurt synod of 794.

Archaeological importance

Probably the coin during the construction of the Palatine Chapel - before the floor was completed - come into the ground [Note. 1]

This has the coin along with dendrologic findings, written traditions Einhard and Sigebert of Gembloux [note 2] is very important for narrowing down the date of commencement of construction of the Carolingian Palatine Chapel, which has now been suggested by recent findings for " 795 ".