Mancus
/ˈmæŋkəs/noun
A medieval gold coin, especially one mentioned in Anglo-Saxon and Carolingian records.
Did you know?The mancus was generally treated as a unit worth thirty silver pennies in Anglo-Saxon England, although surviving evidence suggests the term could refer both to a coin and to a value of gold.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Antiquity
Latin
mancus
“A Latin adjective meaning “maimed” or “defective”; its connection with the medieval coin-name is uncertain.”
7th–8th Century
Arabic
manqūsh
““Engraved” or “decorated”; scholars have proposed this as a possible source of the medieval coin term, though the derivation is debated.”
8th Century
Old English
mancūs
“A gold coin or a monetary unit used in Anglo-Saxon records.”
8th–9th Century
Medieval Latin
mancus
“A term for a gold coin or a specified weight/value of gold in European documents.”
11th Century
Old English
mancus
“A monetary unit commonly reckoned as thirty silver pennies.”
Modern English
English
mancus
“A historical term for the medieval gold coin or monetary unit.”