W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

1 74 The Coins of Europe
chiefly for lower values, of the early Dukes and Arch-Dukes of Austria.
The seat of the mint of the Austrian Empire since 1806. The earliest
gold siege-piece is that struck here on the occasion of the blockade by
the Turks in 1529. The archbishop coined a thaler at V., with the
permission of the Emperor Joseph, in 1781. There is a superb one struck
by the Numismatic Society of V. in 1888, in honour of Maria Theresa, in
two varieties : one with a plain, the other with an inscribed, edge.
Vienne, Dauphiny, formerly a place of great consideration and importance,
and by the Council of 892 declared the metropolis of France.
There was a Venetian settlement in Haute-Vienne in 977, and the quarter
where the colonists fixed themselves was known as the Rue des Venicicns.
The town of V. was both a Merovingian, a Carlovingian, and a Burgundian
mint, as well as, at a somewhat later period, a local one, and a seat of
coinage of the archbishops and dauphins. One of the archiepiscopal
pieces has on obv. Vrbs Vienna, and on rev. Caput Gallic. There is a
denier of the loth c. of municipal origin, having on obv. Vrbs Vienna and
a monogram in centre, and on rev. S. Mai'rici-vs and a cross. Some
pieces of the same period indicate a monetary convention between the
primates and the Crown of Provence.
Viennois, a district of France, in which formerly existed several mints
employed by the Comtes d'Albon, I ith-i :
5th c., namely Sesana, or Sisena
(1155), Avisans, Chaneuil, Veynes, Grenoble, Tronche (near Grenoble),
Pisangon, Cremieu, Serve, and Romans. Humbert II. (1333-49) still
used the mint authorised by Frederic Barbarossa at Sesana.
Vierzon, Berri, a seigniorial mint from the I2th to the I5th c., when,
after several changes, it was reunited to the Crown of France.
Viesville, Hainault, a place of coinage of the ancient Counts of
Namur, I3th c.
Villa di Chicsa, a mint of Alfonso IV. and Pedro IV. of Arragon
(1327-87).
Ville-Franchc, a seat of the French coinage under Louis XIII. A
double tournois of 1614 was struck there.
Villeneuve. See Beaucaire and Satnt-Andr/.
Vih'ordc, S. Brabant, near Brussels, a seigniorial mint in the Middle
Ages, and one of those of the Dukes of Brabant.
Vimy, Pas de Calais, a mint under Louis XIV. Liards of 1654
with V.
Visby, an early Danish mint. Visbycensis.
Visd. See Wezet.
Visigothic Mints. See Blanchet, ii. 271-72. Many are very doubtful.
Viterbo, a place of coinage of certain pieces in silver and billon with
Patrimoniv. Beati. Petri., and of others with the name of St. Laurentius,
I2th-i3th c. It was a papal mint from 1303 to 1490, and Pius VI. struck
bronze money here in 1796-97. The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem,
when they left Rhodes in 1522, remained for some time at Viterbo and
at Candia, and may have struck their money on the spot.
Vitforia, near Parma, a supposed place of coinage of pieces with the
name of Frederic II. and S. Victoris. about 1247.
Viviers, Dept. of Ardeche, on the Rhone, the seat of an episcopal
coinage from the I2th to the I4th c. It seems that in 1293 the mint was
known as 1'Argentiere. In 1307 leave was given for the circulation of
the money outside the diocese. Vivarii, or Vivariensis. Some pieces
have the initial and title of the bishop. Low values only.
Vlissingen. See Flushing.