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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Hrefn, post: 7338986, member: 115171&quot;]The Lombards appear to have shared the apparent reluctance to coin in gold, but they got over it.&nbsp; The following solidi and tremisses illustrate this.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1281023[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1281024[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The first coin is a Lombardic solidus of Romuald II the Duke of Beneventum from 706 to 731.&nbsp; Although he had the temerity to add his initial to the the reverse field, the coin is otherwise in the name and with the portrait of Emperor Justinian II as shown below on the right, which is the true Byzantine issue.&nbsp;&nbsp; (The coin on the left is the younger bust of Justinian II.) You can see it is a close approximation, although Romuald’s solidi had a lower gold content averaging 72%.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1281025[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1281026[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The following two tremisses were issued by Grimoald III less than a century later.</p><p>Both now feature the name and the portrait of the Duke, with no nod toward Constantinople.&nbsp; The reverse of the first (788-792AD) names Dominus Carolus Rex, referring to Charlemagne.&nbsp; The second was struck after the Beneventans had thrown off Carolingian overlordship (792-806AD) and Charlemagne’s name has been removed.&nbsp; </p><p>The last solidus was struck by Sicard (832-839AD) and again no other suzerainty is acknowledged.&nbsp; I believe he was the last Duke of Beneventum to strike gold coins.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The Normans in Sicily also struck gold before the Conquest of Constantinople in 1204.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1281033[/ATTACH]</p><p>The coin on the left is a tari of Roger II 1130-1154AD.&nbsp; (The other is a Venetian ducat which came after the conquest.)</p><p><br /></p><p>As I recall, Charlemagne struck some rare gold; sadly the Hrefn collection lacks any examples.&nbsp;&nbsp; And the crusader states struck dinars although initially these were close copies of the Islamic coins. Here’s a couple (with a later electrum ducat.)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1281034[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>There are also Anglo Saxon Thrymsas.&nbsp; I am sure others can think of more pre-1204 gold.&nbsp; </p><p>But as a generalization, it is true that gold coin distinct from the Empire, East and West, is uncommon.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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