Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 1880. Estimate $3000.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $9750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

FRANCE, Merovingians. Chlotar II. 584-629. AV Tremissis (1.21 g, 6h). Marseille mint. Struck circa 600-620. CHLOTARIVS R, draped and diademed bust right / [...]VICTO ' CLOX retrograde [Victoria Clotari], cross potent on globe, flanked by M A and II V. E. Felder, "Zur Münzprägung der merowingischen Könige in Marseille,” Mélanges Lafaure, pp. 223-229, pl. 23, 5; NM IV p. 89, Type 8-6F, 36; Belfort 2482; Prou 1386. EF, lustrous fields on the reverse, weak strike on the high point of the bust and corresponding area on the reverse. ($3000)

Marseille was added to the expanding Merovingian realm in 534, when the feeble Burgundian king Gundomar II was deposed by Thierry I. Unlike many of the Merovingian mint cities, which struck solely in the name of local moneyers, Marseille was established as a royal mint, striking most of its coinage in the name of the king, from an initial denier of Thierry to the final issues of tremisses under Dagobert II (676-679). The Marseille coinage represents an opportunity to acquire a rare specimen of the royal coinage of the Merovingians.