Value judgements: weight and fineness
Rory Naismith
Early medieval coinage was fundamentally different from most modern currencies in that its value and acceptability were grounded precious-metal content. For this reason the amount of silver or gold usually controlled by minting authorities carefully scrutinized coin-users. There two factors which determined quantity precious metal a coin: weight purity it struck. These intimately associated with one another early Middle Ages, together constituted vital part general estimation coinage. Isidore Seville, fineness – pondus et metallum just as important design (figura) giving coin acceptable status. Standardization reliability underlying concerns an end themselves for rulers. Respect these essential features currency repeatedly demonstrated legislation against defective coin. Charlemagne laid down large fines 794 anyone who rejected denarii carried king’s name ‘are sound full weight’ (mero sunt argento, pleniter pensantes); injunction repeated several times later Carolingian capitularies. Late Anglo-Saxon law-codes made explicit link between good spiritual wellbeing society whole. The ‘maintenance coinage’ (feos bot), words Wulfstanian V VI Æthelred II Cnut, integral feature peace’ (friðes on par performance military service avoidance sins such murder, fraud, adultery sacrilege. As far can tell documents, reliable seen ingredient healthy society, looked weighed contained much supposed to.
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