Aachen penny of Charlemagne [SEP] time of discovery
Aachen penny of Charlemagne
The Aachen penny of Charlemagne, a Carolingian silver coin, was found on 22 February 2008 in the foundations of the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, during archaeological work in the northeastern bay of the hexadecagon. This is the first discovery of coinage from the time of Charlemagne at Aachen.
Description of the coin.
The obverse of the coin features a cross in the centre, surrounded by the Latin inscription "CARLVS REX FR[]", which means "Charles, King of the Fr[anks]
Under the reign of Charlemagne it was a mining centre and was, for a time, the home of the French mint: the Aachen penny of Charlemagne, the first coin of Charlemagne to be found at his capital of Aachen/Aix, was minted at "Metullo". The silver mines which supplied the mint continued to function off and on before being forgotten altogether in the 18th century, not to be discovered again until the 20th century. The mine is now a tourist attraction and can be visited most days of