Coin - denier tournois

The images show a copper medieval coin [17mm diameter] dating from the late 13th or early 14th century, which Leeds Museums and Galleries recently purchased from a private individual. Richard Plant and Alan Humphries kindly identified the coin as a billon denier of the Duchy of Athens minted or struck at Thebes in Central Greece between 1294 and 1308 during the reign of Guy II de la Roche (1287-1308).

The obverse reads GVI DVX ATENES (or Guy, Duke of Athens). The reverse shows a design which originated in the denier type of the abbey of St Martin of Tours in France used from the 11th to the early 14th century. It became a popular coin type in France and was adopted by the Franks in Greece, who had taken power there after the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople in 1204.

The design is known as the Tournois Castle and it depicts the defences of Tours partly in plan and partly as an elevation. Coins with this design are, therefore, known as "deniers tournois" (deniers from the denarius or denarii used in Roman times). The reverse inscription THEBANI CIVIS is the mint name, "City of Thebes".

Unfortunately the provenance of the coin is not known because the vendor found the coin amongst the personal effects of a deceased relative. Despite this the coin makes a useful addition to Leeds numismatic collections, where it is accessioned as LEEDM.N.2003.3. I am grateful to Richard Plant and Alan Humphries, librarian at the Thackray Museum, for kindly identifying the coin.

Bryan Sitch,
Curator of Archaeology,
Leeds Museums and Galleries.



Abbey House Museum