★ Introduction of Papal Coinage ★

ITALY, Papale (Stato pontificio). Gregory III, with Emperor Leo III. 731-741. AR Quarter Siliqua(?) (9mm, 0.32 g, 6h). Papal-Imperial coinage. Rome mint. Crowned and draped facing bust of Leo, holding globus cruciger; stars flanking head / Cruciform monogram for GREGOR[ ius ]. Grierson, Coins of Medieval Europe 68 ; DOC 92 (Leo III); SB 1534C (Leo III); BMC Vandals 2-3 (as Duke Gregory of Beneventum); O'Hara & Vecchi 29; CNI –; MIR 12; Berman 2; MEC 1, 1030. Deeply toned. EF. Very rare and far superior to the three examples in CoinArchives.

From the Richard A. Jourdan Collection of Medieval European Coins. Ex Triton XIX (5 January 2016), lot 762.

Grierson notes (p. 31) ‘Early papal ‘coinage’ in the city is of marginal character; small silver coins with the bust of a Byzantine emperor and a succession of papal monograms or initials on the reverse, small copper tokens bearing the names of popes Gregory III and Zachary. Whether there are any papal symbols earlier than the pontificate of Gregory III is uncertain.’