page_title: Lombard coinage
hierarchical_section_title: Lombard coinage
caption_attribution_description: Lombardic Kingdom of Italy. Cunincpert. 688-700. AV Tremissis (1.41 gm). Pavia mint. DN CVNI-INCPE RX, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; in field to right, manus Dei SCS MI-HAHIL&#160;:., St. Michael standing left, holding long cross. Bernareggi, Il sistema economico e la monetazione dei Longobardi nell'Italia Superiore, pg. 138, 18; Gnecchi collection 3950; Arslan, Le monete dei Ostrogoti, Longobardi e Vandali, pg. 60, 43. Very rare. EF. ($3000) Ex Aufhäuser Auction 14, (1998), lot 566. In the early years of Lombardic settlement coinage seems to have been the product of local initiative, and only later in the 7th century was there an attempt to reestablish a royal monopoly. Cunincpert was the first Lombardic monarch to place his name and title explicitly on the coinage. The above specimen with the hand of God symbol recalls chapter 242 of Rothari's Edict of 643: " He who stamps gold or mints coin without the king's command shall have his hand cut off".
context_page_description: The coinage of the Lombards refers to the autonomous productions of coins by the Lombards. It constitutes part of the coinage produced by Germanic peoples occupying the former territory of the Roman Empire during the Migration Period. All known Lombard coinage was produced after their settlement of Italy. The coinage originates from two distinct areas, in Langobardia Major between the last decades of the sixth century and 774, and in Langobardia Minor, in the duchy of Benevento, between approximately 680 and the end of the 9th century.
  The earliest Lombard coins imitated contemporary Byzantine coinage, and coinage under the names of the Lombard kings was a later development. In the north the coinage consisted almost exclusively of tremisses, while solidi were also minted in Benevento. The southern coinage of Benevento and Salerno, although distinguished from that of the north by various stylistic and typological characteristics, also took inspiration from Byzantine models until new types bearing regal titles were issued by Cunipert towards the end of the 7th century.
context_section_description: The coinage of the Lombards refers to the autonomous productions of coins by the Lombards. It constitutes part of the coinage produced by Germanic peoples occupying the former territory of the Roman Empire during the Migration Period. All known Lombard coinage was produced after their settlement of Italy. The coinage originates from two distinct areas, in Langobardia Major between the last decades of the sixth century and 774, and in Langobardia Minor, in the duchy of Benevento, between approximately 680 and the end of the 9th century.
  The earliest Lombard coins imitated contemporary Byzantine coinage, and coinage under the names of the Lombard kings was a later development. In the north the coinage consisted almost exclusively of tremisses, while solidi were also minted in Benevento. The southern coinage of Benevento and Salerno, although distinguished from that of the north by various stylistic and typological characteristics, also took inspiration from Byzantine models until new types bearing regal titles were issued by Cunipert towards the end of the 7th century.
  After Lombard rule was superseded by that of the Franks in 774, Lombard-style coinage was produced for some time afterwards. In Langobardia Minor, the coinage was continued for around a hundred years.
  While the coinage is largely in gold, silver coinage appears under the influence of the Franks in the end of the 8th century, alongside tremisses and solidi. Silver becomes the more prevalent metal only for the latest coinages, of the 9th century.
caption: A tremissis of Cunipert (r. 688-700), issued by the mint of Pavia.  Obverse: DN CVNI-INCPE RX, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; in field to right, manus Dei  Reverse: SCS MI-HAHIL :., St. Michael standing left, holding long cross.
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