Added an incredible rare, die-linked sceatta to the collection.

I have a fascination for sceatta's, and when this superbly specimen caught my attention (via @AnYangMan who found it first), I just had to have it. It's an incredibly rare type, which I will explain below.

ANGLO-SAXON, Annonymous. Denomination: AR sceatta (series D, BMC type 10), minted: Likely the Netherlands; c.700-715 AD
Obv: Crowned bust to the right with pellets as hair. Sharp, portruding nose. Runic inscription aepa in front
Rev: Radiated 'porcupine' or 'moonface' bust, to the right. Runic inscription ticv in front.
Weight: 1.16g; Ø:12mm. Catalogue: Abramson 9-10; BMC type 10;. Provenance: Metal detecting find Oud-Zevenaar, near the assumed location of an 8th century church; acq.: 04-2020

The series D sceatas consists of three distinct styles: the BMC type 8, showing a standard on the obverse and a runic inscription on the reverse; the BMC type 2c (which is the most abundant) showing a bust, facing right on most coins, with a runic inscription in front, and the same runic inscription as type 8, and BMC type 10, showing the same bust as type 2c (die links have been found) and a 'porcupine' radiate bust on the reverse.

source: W. op den Velde and D.M. Metcalf. The Monetary Economy of the Netherlands, c. 690 - c. 715 and the Trade with England: A Study of the Sceattas of Series D. JMP 90, 2003.

This coin (BMC type 10) is closely connected to the mint of type 2C (as suggested by the die links), but much rarer - fewer than 30 specimens of this coin are known, possibly indicating a smaller, independent mint.
This coin is die linked to chain 312-325 (obverse die link), and 318-319 (reverse die link), minted in Kerk-Averza and Escharen.


Other find locations of this type are IJzendoorn, Valkenburg and Ven-Zederheide. Locations in the United Kingdom include Bedford and Bawsey; two locations are unsure (one in Friesland, and one unknown).

The find disposition indicates a local mint in the eastern part of the Netherlands (or west-Germany).

As mentioned, this coin is incredible rare. So far, I've found three auction results, of which this one seems to be the highest quality.

With this type BMC type 10, I've completed the series D sceatta:

BMC type 8


BMC type 2c

 

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I own none but could easily get sucked into them. Great writeup & coins.

 

I love doing this sort of die-matching study. Congratulations on the find!

 

Thanks for the kind comments!

Just do it! They're super interesting, but somewhat expensive though.

 

Roerbakmix, Congratulations on your recent score . The coin looks like an abstraction on steroids .

 

Amazing write-up and research behind this! I hardly knew anything about sceattas but it seems to be a pretty interesting, albeit confusing, series. Your example stood out to me especially, because I recognized one of those characters on a small silver coin that I've had for years and have never been able to ID, not even to a general region or time. I went down a rabbit hole of sceatta pieces after reading this and despite not finding an exact match, I'm nearly positive that it's something from the region/era given it's design. Thanks for sharing this and leading me into a bit of closure for this piece.

 

@TuckHard it's an interesting coin, despite the condition. What is the diameter and weigh? Sceatta's usually weigh between 1.1 and 1.3g, with a diameter of 11-13mm.

I checked my other sceatta's for die matches, and found another one


ANGLO-SAXON, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series E, sub-variety K), minted: The Netherlands to Eastern Germany; 720-740 AD
Obv: Porcupine type with four legs
Rev: Beaded square with cross above and to the left. Central annulet with dot inside. Four beaded lines around in 'swatsika pattern'.
Weight: 0.79g; Ø:1.3mm. Catalogue: Metcalf & Op ten Velde (2010) die chain 2534-2535 (plate 72, The Monetary Economy of the Netherlands, c. 690 - c. 760 and the Trade with England: A Study of the Porcupine' Sceattas of Series E). Provenance: Ex private collection (10-2019); acq.: 10-2019

 

... and another

ANGLO-SAXON, Annonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series E, Primary ('Ashton Rowant') phase, plumed bird var. J (Type 6)), minted: Probably Dorestad, Frisia (the Netherlands); 695/700-710/5
Obv: Plumed bird’ right; cross pommée to right and below
Rev: Standard with central pellet-in-annulet, four bars, and two trefoils; crosses at sides, dots around
Weight: 0g; Ø:mm. Catalogue: Metcalf & Op ten Velde (2010) die chain 8-10 (plate 1, The Monetary Economy of the Netherlands, c. 690 - c. 760 and the Trade with England: A Study of the 'Porcupine' Sceattas of Series E). Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 11-2019