★ Lombardic Regal Coinage ★

LOMBARDS, Lombardy & Tuscany. Liutprand. 712-744. AV Tremissis (23mm, 1.27 g, 1h). Pavia mint. D N LIV PRDN (Rx), pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; to right, T above triple pellets / SCS M HΛHIL, St. Michael standing left, holding long cross in right hand and round shield in left. Cf. Grierson, Coins of Medieval Europe 44 (for type) ; Bernareggi 116 var. (legends; four pellets); Bernareggi, Moneta 8; Arslan –; cf. BMC Vandals 3; MEC 1, 322 var. (legends; obv. letter); cf. Elsen 111, lot 527. EF. Fully lustrous. Extremely rare variety of a rare control.

From the Richard A. Jourdan Collection of Medieval European Coins. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 108 (16 May 2018), lot 794.

In the late 7th century the Lombardic coinage in the Po valley begun to depart from late Roman and Byzantine models. The king’s name and ‘portrait’ appears on the obverse and a new reverse type Saint Michael The Archangel is introduced on the reverse. Although no mint name appears on the coin they are attributable to the capital of Pavia.