Post your English Saxon Pennies

The division between sceats and stycas is not so simple.

Most scholars will say it happened ~790 when the king's moneyers started placing their names on the reverses. So the first stycas were made for Aethelred I or possibly Aelfwald I. This is possibly too simplistic a definition.

Others argue that the stycas began when the currency became debased during the reign of Eanred (810-840), and the transition from silver to brass took place. So coins pure of silver are called "sceats" while the mostly copper coins are called "stycas".

In any case, the coin you have posted is a styca (by any definition) of Aethelred II of Northumbria, by moneyer Alghere. By the conventional dating, it probably dates from his first reign (841-844), or perhaps a decade later if you go with the alternate dating scheme.

There is but a single "penny" in the Northumbrian series, a coin of King Eanred imitating contemporary coinage of Ecgbert or Aethelwulf of Wessex, it is a unique coin in the British Museum and is probably a commemorative issue, not meant for regular circulation. All other Northumbrian coins are sceats and stycas, until the Vikings took over and issued pennies in the style of the southern English kingdoms.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I think most people would say that the Saxon period, certainly in the South of England, runs from around 600 AD to the defeat of Harold II at Hastings in 1066. Admittedly some of the kings towards the end of this period (Cnut, Harthacnut and Harold I) are more Danish than Saxon, but the last 2 (Edward the Confessor and Harold II) are substantially Saxon.

In Northumbria, Anglia and much of Mercia the Danish gradually took over with the Saxon population subjugated until Eadgar of Wessex became the first king of all England in 959 AD. By that time the population was a good mix of Saxons, Romano-British Celts and newly arrived Danes.

Of course the term "Saxon" is actually shorthand for a number of tribes originating from central Europe, also including Jutes, Angles and probably Franks.

And who said immigration was a new problem!

 

The Saxon period for coinage may begin around 600AD, but historically the adventus saxonum came sometime in the fifth century. It wasn't long after the Romans left that the Angles and Saxons came over.

Excellent little histories of these coins though! I look forward to the day I can delve into them more...

 

Fair point - I was going on the dates of the first coinage, and as you say, the various Saxon tribes had been settling for some time before that.

 

I could be totally wrong on this, but is that "copy" on the coin? Also, Spink 861 is Archbishop Eanbald II (796-835)

 

Indeed it is stamped "COPY". I missed that the first look.

 

Oooops. I have owned this coin for some time, but I had never seen that either.
(I can blame my poor eyesight on age.)
Caught again!
Note: In my copy of Spink 1998, 861 is Aethelred II (first reign c. 854-858)
It may have changed in later editions, perhaps?

 

In Spink 1998 Eanbald II (796-830) is 868.

 

Yes - Spinks has occasionally carried out renumbering processes to allow for new information on coins. In the following year they then put old and new numbers but thereafter they use the new number only.
In my 2011 edition 861 is Arch Bishop Eanbald II and 868 is Athelred II of Northumbria.

Sorry about your disappointment on the "copy"!

 

Man, I feel ya big time. I have posted a couple here that were deemed FAKE. One was so obvious, and I just crawled under a rock. But, I persevered, and learned a LOT from the experience. A couple months ago, at a Coin Show, I REPLACED the obvious FAKE from a very reputable dealer. After completing the Transaction...I told the dealer why I bought it from him. I am better now, but I REALLY smarted from those two lessons. I kept them both as learnin' experiences... (Both have been replaced, but BOTH are in my Album as a reminder...and I just regret looking at them!)