![[Media/Denier_Charlemagne1.jpg]] *Carolingian Denarius* The 10% tithe paid to the Church funded schools, libraries, and scriptoria where texts were copied. In day to day life, Carolingian customs and written law was taken up throughout western Europe. Standardized weights and measures made trade possible, and Carolingian money became the standard for most later nations. A pound (*libra, livre*) was 409 grams of silver and consisted of twelve shillings (*solidus, sou*) which were each worth 20 pennies (*denarius, denier*). Although typically only the pennies were minted and the other denominations were accounting units, this ratio continued in French livre, British £sd (until 1971), Italian lira, and Spanish libra. Even centuries later, when there were few or no coins in circulation, the denominations were still used to value contracts, taxes, rents, and bank notes. This continued, even after silver flooded in from new German mines beginning in the 13th century ----- Next: [[10.10 - Vikings]] Back: [[10.8 - Carolingian Culture]]