Charles III, the Simple, 898-923

Cf. Depeyrot 1197; Morrison & Grunthal 1437, PCGS graded AU-58

When Carloman II died in 884, Charles the Simple was prevented from succeeding his half-brother as King of West Francia due to the power of the Frankish nobles who first invited Charles the Fat to sit on the throne and then Odo once they tired of his rule. At last, in 894, the 14-year-old Charles the Simple was crowned as Charles III by a noble faction opposed to Odo. However, he was never strong enough to take West Francia until after Odo died in 898. The reign of Charles III was notable for his attempts to halt Viking raids by settling them as allies in Normandy and for his difficulties with the Frankish nobility. In 922, the nobles of West Francia rebelled against him and chose Robert, the Count of Paris, to be their king instead. Although Charles III managed to kill Robert at the Battle of Soissons the following year, his army was defeated and he fled. Later in 923, he was captured by Robert’s son-in-law, Herbert II, the Count of Vermandois. Herbert II held Charles III in captivity until his death in 929 as a means of exerting influence over the subsequent kings of West Francia.

Undetermined mint in West Francia. + C?RLVS REX, short cross / X+RI?N?RIIIcIO, Karolus monogram.

Ex Heritage (18 September 2015), 29649