2016-04-02 Sat

On this day 2nd April, in the year 742, Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great or Charles I was born. He became the King of the Franks in 768 and united most of Western Europe to lay the foundations for modern France and Germany.

From 774 he became King of Italy and from 800 he became the first Holy Roman Emperor. With this title, he became the first recognized emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier. He also got the divine legitimacy to rule his empire without the pope in the eyes of his contemporaries. His expanded kingdom was called as the Carolingian Empire.

During his regime many coins were issued featuring the portrait of this legendary and powerful King.