The Coins in the Grave of King Childeric

Abstract

This article contextualizes some one hundred mid- to late 5 th century solidi and two hundred silver coins found in the grave of King Childeric in Tournai, Belgium. We argue that the coins in the grave must have been assembled for the specific purpose of the burial rite and that some of the participants in the burial rite were allowed to look at the coins before the grave was sealed. We argue that they were capable of identifying the various coins because they were literate and familiar with Roman iconography. It follows that the solidus hoard together with the other coins is a meaningful composition that has been manipulated for deological purposes by Clovis himself. The coins must hence be explained in a manner that considers Clovis’ ideological motives, as the grave and its contents run contrary to all usual explanations.