Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820)
The late seventh century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in the economy of North-West Europe, yet the source(s) of silver bullion remains enigmatic. Here, we provide new insights into European silver sources through the ‘long eighth century’ (c. 660-820 AD) via the lead isoto...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024
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| _version_ | 1811139365184733184 |
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| author | Kershaw, JF Merkel, S Naismith, R D'Imporzano, P |
| author_facet | Kershaw, JF Merkel, S Naismith, R D'Imporzano, P |
| author_sort | Kershaw, JF |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The late seventh century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in
the economy of North-West Europe, yet the source(s) of silver bullion remains enigmatic. Here, we provide new insights into European silver sources through the ‘long eighth century’ (c. 660-820 AD) via the lead isotope and trace element analysis of 49 coins from England, Frisia and Francia. The results indicate an early reliance on Byzantine silver, followed from c. 750 by a shift to metal from Frankish mines. They generate new insights into the motives for minting, and reveal the strong role of the state in controlling metal resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:52:44Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:3fba9aa7-163b-49f0-b883-d14c74a323c4 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:04:55Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:3fba9aa7-163b-49f0-b883-d14c74a323c42024-05-28T11:22:12ZByzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820)Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3fba9aa7-163b-49f0-b883-d14c74a323c4EnglishSymplectic ElementsCambridge University Press2024Kershaw, JFMerkel, SNaismith, RD'Imporzano, PThe late seventh century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in the economy of North-West Europe, yet the source(s) of silver bullion remains enigmatic. Here, we provide new insights into European silver sources through the ‘long eighth century’ (c. 660-820 AD) via the lead isotope and trace element analysis of 49 coins from England, Frisia and Francia. The results indicate an early reliance on Byzantine silver, followed from c. 750 by a shift to metal from Frankish mines. They generate new insights into the motives for minting, and reveal the strong role of the state in controlling metal resources. |
| spellingShingle | Kershaw, JF Merkel, S Naismith, R D'Imporzano, P Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820) |
| title | Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820) |
| title_full | Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820) |
| title_fullStr | Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820) |
| title_short | Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820) |
| title_sort | byzantine plate and frankish mines the provenance of silver in north west european coinage during the long eighth century c 660 820 |
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