Metz

Metz is located in the northeast of present-day France at the mouth of the Seille in the Moselle. It was the capital of the Franconian East Germany in Merovingian-Franconian time and the ancestral seat of the Carolingians. In 1189 the city became independent.

Between 1180 and 1210 Metz became a imperial city, created a dominion and rose to the  largest imperial city and was able to even reject the attacks of the powerful dukes of Lorraine. Metz developed into a city republic based on the Italian model, which was led by the richest patricians. The reason for this was probably the lively contacts with the Italian trading cities.

The coins from Metz are influenced by both the French and the German coins. Due to the lively trade with Italy the local coins of this land were in circulation and served as a model.