Monthly Archives: December 2014

By starting to talk about coins in Western Europe—with Charlemagne’s penny—I passed over what was actually the dominant coin in the early medieval years. Constantinople controlled eastern Mediterranean trade all through the Middle Ages, and even when its military power … Continue reading →

Charlemagne’s silver penny, the denarius or denier, set the norm for European money. When his empire split into pieces, which eventually became Germany and France, both continued to mint coins similar to the denier for several centuries. Silver deposits discovered … Continue reading →

For most of the medieval era, the silver penny was the basic currency in all places. Silver was the most common precious metal; gold was too uncommon until the late medieval, and copper was not precious enough. Silver was precious, … Continue reading →

During the Middle Ages, many European rulers rewarded faithful followers not with direct payments of cash or land, but with a royal charter—permission—to take up some sort of regulated business. This way, the monarch didn’t need to pay directly. Instead, … Continue reading →

Medieval coins were stamped by a round, carved die, but they were defined in value by weight. This meant that sometimes a coin’s stamped round part was not sufficient to make up its value, so the coin had to include … Continue reading →

The story of Europe’s medieval period is really the narrative of how a heavily forested, cold place gradually caught up with the habits and inventions of the Mediterranean cultures, and at last began to pass them. All but the fringes … Continue reading →

I thought I’d start a new short series on medieval coins and jewels. The previous series about containers closed with locked chests and purses, which led me to think about what might go inside them.