Merovingian. Anonymous gold Tremissis ND (c. AD 580-670) UNC, Besançon mint, Gennardus as moneyer, MEC I-Unl., Prou-1252-1253, Belfort-4784, Dep II-2. 13mm. 1.37gm. VENSON | CION, Imperial-style diademed bust right / GENNARΔVS + AERIO (S on side), cross potent on three steps, M-N (each with bar of contraction above) to either side. A positively exquisite rarity, and quite possibly the nicest known survivor of this Besançon-minted Merovingian Tremissis. Almost certainly from the same dies as the specimen illustrated under no. 4784 in Belfort's catalog, he recorded four examples of this emission in museums--in Lyon, Metz, Besançon, and the Bibliothèque Nationale. We are aware of a single other specimen having emerged on auction in the last 20 years (Numismatica Genevensis Auction 5, December 2008, Lot 489), which reportedly brought 13,000 CHF (also minted from the same dies). Whereas that specimen showed light wear and earthen deposits in the legends, however, this coin appears entirely mint, its fields lustrous, devices sharp, and even the whole of the reverse legend is visible, which is not the case for either the Genevensis example or the illustration in Belfort (Prou also lists sections of the legend apparently off-flan). It has been suggested that the M and N on the reverse--each of which shows a mark of contraction as a sign of abbreviation above it--may be intended to complete the AERIO in the legend as a truncation of MONETARIO. Simply a must for the connoisseur. Sold with a very old handwritten collector's tag.

HID09801242017

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