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Tremissis in the name of Justinian I
| Issuer | Frankish Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 527-600 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Justinian I facing right, rendered in the late antique imperial style characteristic of Frankish imitative coinage. The effigy is encircled by a Latin legend occupying the full periphery of the flan. The portrait, while derived from Byzantine prototypes, displays the stylistic degradation typical of barbarian imitations, with facial features rendered in a more schematic manner than the official Constantinople issues. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Frankish tremisses imitating Byzantine issues were not mere copying exercises — they reflect the political reality that Merovingian rulers lacked the monetary credibility to circulate gold under their own names across the Mediterranean trade network. Byzantine coin types, particularly those of Justinian I, carried transactional trust that no Frankish king could yet command. The imitations kept commerce moving while Frankish mints were still finding their footing.
The "var." notations against both MEC and Belfort references point to die combinations not fully catalogued — unsurprising given how many Frankish minting centers operated with near-total autonomy during this period.