LOMBARDS: Cunincpert, 688-700, AV tremissis (1.17g), Pavia, MEC 1 —, Arslan-31, cf. Bernareggi-12, struck ca 688-692, diademed bust of the king right, RX below, DN CVN-INCPE // victory standing with head left, holding wreath and globus cruciger, + DN CVNINCPERT REX I (all N's retrograde), VF to EF, RRR. King of the Lombards and King of Italy, Cunincpert (Cunipert) was the son of Perctarit and a member of the Bavarian dynasty. He oversaw the coinage reform which abandoned the Byzantine Victory motif in favor of the archangel Saint Michael, a venerated figure among the newly converted Lombards due to his association with the pagan god Odin. This coin belongs to the much rarer pre-reform transitional type, which explicitly names the king rather than the Byzantine emperor (cf. Lot 32 of this sale) and yet still retains the Victory reverse. Only a handful examples of this type have ever appeared in auctions, and none as well preserved (cf. CNG Auction 100, Lot 391).
Estimate: USD 5000 - 6000