A Hoard of Merovingian Deniers and Sceattas From Combrailles (Creuse)

A group of 39 Merovingian deniers (31) and Anglo-Frisian 'sceattas' (8) was discovered several years ago in the historical region of Combrailles, in the French département of Creuse. Considering the relatively high average weight, the Combrailles hoard seems to be a savings hoard in which most of the deniers were specially chosen over several decades for their high weight and good condition. More recent coins of generally lower weight, including the sceattas, were added to them later. The other notable feature is the very small proportion of coins from nearby mints (less than 16 %) while a large number of coins apparently come from far away, such as the valley of the Thames or Frisia, through the Rhône-Saône-Seine and Rhône-Saône-Rhine corridors. The coins were all concealed together as a result of a crisis, which might be linked to one of the many military campaigns led by Charles Martel in the 730s.