Featured The sceattas of early Anglo-Saxon England

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Nap, May 19, 2018.

  1. Nap

    Nap Well-Known Member

    I've posted a few examples here and there but not a more general overview.

    Sceattas were the small coins produced out of silver and occasionally debased metal in the time between around 685-750 throughout most of Anglo-Saxon England. They are between 11-13mm in diameter and approximately 1g in weight. They feature a variety of designs, that for hundreds of years were a mystery to collectors.

    They are particularly difficult due to a lack of inscription. We rely on find spots, hoard evidence, and inferences made based on the iconography and artistic merit of the pieces produced. This can sometimes feel incomplete or forced, and not all experts come to the same conclusion. Nevertheless it is a fascinating field to study and the coins themselves offer an interesting glimpse into this era in Dark Ages England.

    The initial coinage probably began in Kent, a kingdom centered around the ancient city of Canterbury and, classicly, believed to have been colonized by a people from Jutland rather than Saxony. Initially gold coins, called thrymsas (a variant on tremisses), circulated, but these were almost certainly not used for day-to-day commerce, and were made in relatively small quantities. A more practical coinage that found mass acceptance began in the late 7th century with a silver coinage known today as sceattas. The word itself is problematic, and is almost certainly not contemporary. In fact, it is taken from an Anglo-Saxon word "sceatta", probably pronounced "sheht-uh", which means 'treasure'. The singular, sceat or sceatt (frequently pronounced "skeet" so as not to sound vulgar), is something of a modern construct, dating to the 17th century. The terms are old enough to stick though, so I will also use them.

    The classification of this coinage can take a few forms. They are frequently divided into primary phase (ca 685-715), secondary phase (ca 715-750), and continental (involving the same time period but not made in England at all, rather Frisia and Denmark, but of similar size and designs). They are divided based on place of origin (Kent, Mercia, Essex, Wessex, East Anglia, Sussex, Northumbria - the Heptarchy). The Spink book gives them numbers. They are labeled by types (c.f. Charles Keary who wrote about the types in the British Museum's collection in the 1880s). They are labeled by series as defined by Stuart Rigold back in the 1970s. They are categorized in a completely different arrangement by Tony Abramson in his recent series of books. Then they are separated by type by Anna Gannon based not on origin or date but on the iconography of the designs.

    What this means is that it's not an easy series to jump into. That plus the prices on nice examples have jumped recently, and they aren't super cheap either. But if you do take interest in them and put in some time to learn about them, they are very rewarding. They are little pieces of medieval history of a people that kept minimal records. They do not honor some tyrant or ruthless warlord, but rather present symbols and figures that would have been meaningful at the time, but are largely lost to our modern understanding. They show the evolution of a people in transition, from tribalism to settled societies, from paganism to Christianity, from Germanic to English.

    Now, the coins. As I said, it requires work to jump into the series by classification, so instead I will just show a few representative types, rather than focus on the classification, dating, geographic origin, political relevance, or suspected monarch issuing. I can provide additional information on different types, if there is interest.

    series-b-1a.jpg
    Primary phase, series B
    O: Bust right
    R: Bird on cross, pseudo-legend surrounding

    series-c-1a.jpg
    Primary phase, series C
    O: Abstract bust right, APA in runes (probably the moneyer's name)
    R: Degenerated standart with TOTII

    saroaldo-1.jpg
    Primary phase, Saroaldo type
    O: Stylized bust right
    R: Pseudo-legend of "SAROALDO" around standard

    vernus-1a.jpg
    Primary phase, Vernus type
    O: Degenerate head, "VERNVS" surrounding
    R: Standard with angular symbols

    series-j-1.jpg
    Secondary phase, series J
    O: Bust right
    R: Bird walking with ?baby fledgling above

    series-k-2.jpg
    Secondary phase, series K
    O: Bust right holding cross
    R: Wolf-headed serpent right

    series-l-1a.jpg
    Secondary phase, series L
    O: Diademed draped bust, above head "CNOONN"
    R: Helmeted figure with two crosses, likely standing in a boat

    series-n-1a.jpg
    Secondary phase, series N
    O: Two standing figures, holding crosses
    R: Monster right

    series-d-1.jpg
    Continental type, series D
    O: Bust right
    R: Cross with pellets, illegible letters surounding

    series-x-2.jpg
    Continental type, series X
    O: Facing bust, possibly Odin/Woden
    R: Monster right
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2018
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  3. Nap

    Nap Well-Known Member

    series-g-1a.jpg
    Secondary phase, series G
    O: Diademed bust right
    R: Standard with 3 saltires

    series-h.jpg
    Secondary phase, series H
    O: Central face with seven roundels
    R: Creature right ?peacock

    series-r-wigraed-1.jpg
    Secondary phase, series R (Wigraed type)
    O: Bust on pyramidal neck, name Wigræd (in runes) to right
    R: Standard with angular symbols

    series-z.jpg
    Secondary phase, series Z
    O: Haunted-appearing (almost ghostly) face (?Christ)
    R: Hound or wolf standing with curled tail

    sceat-1a.jpg
    Continental type, series E
    O: Degenerate head (porcupine)
    R: Stepped cross (sunburst)
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2018
  4. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Neat collection @Nap
     
  5. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    What a fabulous array... if I were to pick 2 to hear more about, they would be secondary series K and H. I'm also curious why the flans tend to be so consistently round, at least compared to other medieval coins.

    Here's my primary phase, series BII, probably issued under Wihtred in Kent (c. 690-725). You've seen it before:
    Screen Shot 2018-05-19 at 3.57.13 PM.jpg

    And a Merovingian denier from around the same time, contemporary with Pepin II and Charles Martel (issued in St. Denis/Catullacum, burial place of the Merovingian kings):
    Screen Shot 2018-05-19 at 3.59.13 PM.jpg

    As in Britain, earlier coinage in the Frankish territories had been in gold only, the first deniers appearing c. 675 under Childeric II. Presumably the Anglo Saxon sceats are based on the denier (1g of silver)? Grierson argues that the denier was in fact called the "denarius," and one would expect the sceat's original name to be something related.
     
  6. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Very nice write-up and coins. Could easily get into these like other medievals but haven't yet.
     
  7. dadams

    dadams Well-Known Member

    Wow! I loved seeing these and learning a bit about them - nice collection.
     
    lordmarcovan and ominus1 like this.
  8. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Very nice to learn something about these coins. Thank You!
     
    Stevearino, lordmarcovan and ominus1 like this.
  9. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    wow! very kool coins and info @Nap ..i've seen coins like this and thought they were Celtic, but now i know better, thanks for sharing!..:)
     
    Stevearino likes this.
  10. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    O: Two aliens (maybe) coming in peace
    R: Alien pupper, rather hungry and in need of TLC
     
  11. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    Lovely as always Nap - thanks!
     
    lordmarcovan likes this.
  12. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Great little coins from a very interesting time period. Thev'ye been on my radar for the past six or eight months but I haven't added one yet.

    Yet.
    It'll happen eventually, maybe before this year is out. Now that my Aethelred II penny is gone, I need to fill the gaping void that left in my collection, and get another Anglo-Saxon coin.
     
    galba68 likes this.
  13. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Thanks for the interesting writeup, Nap! I have none to share but appreciate yours :)
     
  14. Nap

    Nap Well-Known Member

    Series K (K for Kent, although many other series of these coins are also Kentish), presents a figure that is among the finest in Anglo-Saxon artistic merit. There are several subtypes, but the gist of it is a diademed bust with strings from the headband knotted into the form of a triquetra on the obverse, with a wolf-like creature on the reverse. The wolf takes several forms, sometimes a large wolf head, sometimes a wolf head on a snake body, and sometimes a creature looking backwards. A variety that is sometimes designated Series K&L depicts the same obverse with a reverse of a guy on a boat, similar to the reverse on my series L. This was a large series of coins, with many minor varieties and a decent amount of surviving examples. Despite being common, these coins are frequently quite expensive since they are of such high artistry.

    Series H (H for Hamwic = Southampton) was produced in a fairly contained area of southern England, and did not circulate much beyond this. There are a few varieties which exchange the face and roundels design for a celtic cross or a whorl of three wolf heads, but the main design is by far the most common and seems to have been an important part of local trade. The feature of the obverse is a central face with a number of pellets-in-circle surrounding. This number varies between 5 and twelve, and it is unclear if it had any significance. It seems unlikely to have been a mark of value, after all there really was no fiat currency at this time. The face is sometimes thought to be Odin/Wodan, but this is not conclusive. The character wears a mustache without a beard, and Odin was and still is typically portrayed with a long beard. The creature on the reverse is thought to be a peacock.

    As for the roundness, that's partly my fault. Many of these coins were photographed in Air-tite holders and the foam insert makes them look unexpectedly round. Most coins of this era are somewhat irregularly round.

    They really do look alien. Where's that guy from the History Channel?
    Honestly though, while historians go to great lengths to show that the Anglo-Saxon people had complex trade networks, extending to France, Russia, Italy, and Byzantium, for most people the society was extremely insular. When the Vikings appeared in Northumbria in the late 8th century, it is recorded that dragons appeared on the horizon. These people were as otherworldly to the locals as green Martians would be to us.
     
    Puckles, Theodosius, seth77 and 3 others like this.
  15. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I think when the time comes for me, I'll be keeping an eye out for wolves, birds, or dragons, if not the quintessential "porcupines".

    I'm all about the beasties.

     
  16. philologus_1

    philologus_1 Supporter! Supporter

    Thank you very much for taking the time to share not just pictures, but also a thoughtful overview!!! I have only one of this genre of coin, which I purchased on a whim due to fascination of the style and symbols. Below is the coin, with what information I have. (Notice on both sides that the outer circle which may seem at first glance to be merely a dotted border is actually a snake seemingly in the process of biting its tail.)

    I could ask more questions, but I'll limit it to just one:
    Any supposition about the meaning of the small 'O' ('circle' / 'annulet' / 'ring') which appear on many of these types? (Such as the 2 on my coin's reverse.)

    upload_2018-5-20_9-39-35.png
    Anglo-Saxon, East Anglian, Billon AR Sceat, ca.: 690-710AD
    Obv.: Diademed head, r.; serpent encircling, legend off-flan (clipped?)
    Rev.: Bird on cross, 'o' at ea. side, small cross r. field; serpent encircling.
    Weight: 1.2 gr. Diam.: 12 mm.
    Attribution: Seaby 777a

    THANKS!
     
  17. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Ooh! Speaking of beasties! What a beauty! Great portrait, and it has a bird.

    Add in an ouroboros* on not just one but both sides? You've got me all aboard.

    *All my life I've been waiting to use the word "ouroboros" in a sentence. O Frabjous day! Now I merely await the opportunity to chant it aloud in a slow, superdeep baritone voice. Perhaps inside a dark cavern somewhere.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2018
  18. John N. Cross

    John N. Cross Member

    Thanks 'Nap', a most authoritative and instructive posting, that gives some basic information about these somewhat neglected but fascinating early coins. It's good to find, that partly with the publication of Tony Abramson's recent books, more collectors are taking an interest in the series. You've got several most interesting and representative examples.
     
    Severus Alexander likes this.
  19. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    I love your collection! I've wanted to get into Celtic coinage...the prices have kept me away.

    English is a Germanic language.
     
  20. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Yes it is is. In fact it is on the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.
     
    Jwt708 likes this.
  21. 4to2centBC

    4to2centBC Well-Known Member

    A beauty.
     
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