And this is the coin from Papia (Pavia)

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by cmezner, Jul 10, 2025 at 12:02 AM.

  1. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    It really took me many days to finally being able to understand this coin

    AR Denaro, Ducato di Franconia, Papia / Pavia 1027 - 1039
    Corrado II di Franconia

    14.02 x 14.72 mm; 1.110 g, 7h

    Camillo Brambilla, Monete di Pavia raccolte ed ordinatamente dichiarate, p. 552 pdf, Tav. VI, No. 5, 6, 7 and Tavola supplementare I (p. 582 pdf), No. 11;
    CNI 1/8; MIR (Lombardia, zecche) 835; Limido-Fusconi 25; Castellotti 1.

    Corrado II di Franconia / Conrad II (German: Konrad II) b. ca. 990 – d. June 4, 1039, also known as Conrad the Elder and Conrad the Salic (because of his origin), was Holy Roman Emperor, from 1027 until his death in 1039.

    Ducato di Franconia is not to be confused with Franconia, historically significant as a duchy and later a circle within the Holy Roman Empire. The two are connected through the Battle of Pavia (1525).

    According to Camillo Brambilla, "Monete di Pavia raccolte ed ordinatamente dichiarate", the name Papia/Pavia comes from Papiria and the two names Papia and Ticinum were both used in the 2nd and 3rd century AD based on a Veronese epigraph where PAP precedes TICINENSIS. In the early years of the 8th century the name Papia starts to appear associated with the name Ticinum, and after it appears by itself. In “De gestis longobardorum”, Book 2, Ch. 15, it says: “Ticinus quoe alio nomine Papia appellatur”.

    To be able to decipher the legends on this denaro, I used Brambilla's book from 1883:

    Here is what he writes in Italian: "nel campo le lettere CHONRADus disposte per modo, che siano a leggersi cominciando in alto ove la C quadrata è in nesso colla H; la O rimane al centro; in basso la N; a sinistra poi abbiamo la R, che contiene in nesso la lettera A, ed a destra sta la D col consueto segno di abbreviatura per le ultime due lettere mancanti.
    Noi abbiamo così un vero monogramma crucigero ben delineato. Intorno fra i consueti due giri lavorati corre la leggenda † AVGVSTVS CEsar. Al rovescio nel mezzo è il nome della città PAPIA in tre righe con un punto o bisante al centro, rimanendo la I in basso; in giro vi ha † INPERATOR."

    Therefore, and using this information, which I couldn't find anywhere on any of the denaros published on the web, and that's why I'm sharing it:
    on the obverse of this coin the name CHONRADus is to be read beginning at the top where the square letter C is in nexus with the letter H; the letter O at the center; the letter N at the bottom; at left the letter R containing the letter A in nexus, and at right the letter D with the usual abbreviation mark for the last two missing letters. We thus have a true cruciger monogram, well outlined. The circular legend AVGVSTVS CE(sar) runs around between two circles of dots.
    On the reverse, in the center, is the name PAPIA in three lines with a dot or bezant in the center, and the letter I at the bottom, all surrounded by the circular legend ✠INPERATOR.

    Ob.: CH / ROD / N (CHONRADus) surrounded by the circular legend ✠AVGVSTVSCE(sar)
    Rev.: PA/P•/I/A in center surrounded by the circular legend ✠INPERATOR

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