The Ostrogoths. The Lombards, Lombardy.
Half siliqua mid 8th century, AR 0.12 g. PERX (monogram). Rev. PERX (monogram), in r. field, three pellets. BMC Vandals 16. Bernareggi 47. Arslan 28-29. MEC I, 331.
Rare. Very fine

Ex NAC sale 93, 2016, 1322.
*** The duchy was founded in around 570-571 by a group of Lombards, separating themselves from the main kingdom situated in Northen Italy, under the guidance of Zotto: after his death in 591, the kingdom was upheld for over forty years by Arechi I, who added other territories and established administrative order. At the time of the greatest territorial expansion (with Romoald II, 706-731), this included almost all of the Southern Italian penninsula. With the fall of the Lombard king in 774, the duchy of Benevento was transformed into a principality: after a period of internal strife, in 847 it was divided into two distinct areas: one with Salerno as its centre, the other with Benevento. In the 10th century, Pandulf reconstructed the Lombard territories in a large area, obtaining from Otto I the marca of Spoleto and Camerino along with the principatos of Capua and Salerno (978); but with Pandulf's death in 981, the principality was re-divided amongst his children. In 1077, with the death of the last prince of Benevento, Landulf VI, the Church and the Normans had full control of the region.