Talk:Lex Frisionum

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Dr Henstra writes in his Thesis: (chapter 3)

As we have seen, the quantity of gold represented by 1 solidus gradually declined from c.3.9g to c.l.3g during the 7th century. Was the solidus in the Lex valued according to the antiquated, undebased gold coin at the end of the 6th century, or was its value determined by the debased solidus (= value of 3 debased tremisses) at the end of the 7th century. The Lex mentions a compensation of 53-g- solidi for killing a freeman. If the solidus in the Lex Frisionum was an undebased gold solidus, this amount would be equivalent to 3 x 53-s- =160 debased Solidi/shillings. This was in fact the correct value, as we learn from a clause in the Lex Ribuaria c.800. In this clause the compensation for killing a Frisian was 160 Solidi/shillings, each solidus/shilling consisting of 12 silver pennies. It was in fact the habitual compensation for homicide among several other Germanic peoples. It follows that, as far as the sources inform us, it was not the debased but the undebased solidus of c.3.9g of gold that was the principal unit of account in the Frisian law during the era under consideration. This unit would not have been used in the Lex if it had not already been in use before the debasement process began; that is, during the first half of the 7th century at latest.

Bornestera (talk) 13:37, 10 March 2008 (UTC)