Featured The sceattas of early Anglo-Saxon England

Thanks for your additions to the thread.

I very much like your type 10 and hope to acquire one like it at some point!

 

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In the last year or two I’ve picked up some interesting East Anglian types:

 

These coins don’t exactly give Greek or even Roman coins a run for their money... the artistry is lacking the refinement of the classical world and later Renaissance. But the variety of designs, insertion of Christian symbolism with remnants of pre-Christianity, and simplicity of details, with hints (but only hints) of artistic merit, is so representative of what we know as the Middle Ages.

 

Nap, these coins made my jaw drop. This is the type of collection I one day hope to have for myself. Until then, I'll just admire yours. I would be most thankful if you could write down the series and subtypes of your sceats for further reference, if possible!

Meanwhile, could you perhaps look at my latest additions? It's a humble series G, but I can't find a comparable type anywhere online; below is my own identification:

ANGLO-SAXON, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Secondairy phase, continental, series G), minted: England; 710/5-720
Obv: Diademed bust, wearing torque, facing to the right. Cross-pommé in front, three pellets below. Dotted border around
Rev: Standard with four crosses pommé, pellets in between, in center annulet with pellet inside, within dotted square border. Around pellets with crosses in each quadrant (two visible)
Weight: 1.21g; Ø:12mm. Catalogue: . Provenance: Found near Maastricht, the Netherlands; acq.: 05-2020

Do you know the subtype? Or could it be a local imitation (note that it was found in the Netherlands, near Maastricht). Thanks in advance!

 

The literature about these types has changed. Series G was once thought to be completely English with a few continental imitations. Now it’s thought to be continental in origin, probably from Quentovic. There are some that are very debased like yours.

I have these two examples-

 

A few more types I haven’t previously shown


Series A


Series C var.


Series V


Series S


Series U


Series M var.


SEDE type


Series K/N mule

 

Wow! These are phenomenal! Especially the toning and strong strike of the series A. The series M var was from a recent timeline auction, wasn’t it? I was eyeballing this one (or a similar one) but am not familiar enough with the series to decide whether genuine or not: I couldn’t find a similar one. Did you find one?

 

You are correct with regards to the origin of the series M. It was in that recent auction and I'm sure I paid way too much. I do not have any particular reason to doubt the authenticity. The variety is known from other examples on the Early Medieval Corpus and is described in Tony Abramson's book on sceattas.

 

I had tentatively ID'd my similar coin as a slightly odd looking series O type 40 (there are a couple on PAS ID'd as such) but I guess I'm wrong about that, as it seems a close match to what you're calling a series K/N mule. Here's mine:

What's known about these? Do they have an Abramson ID#? (Thanks, @Nap !!)

 

Yours looks like a K/N mule.
Yours is Abramson 37-20. Mine is 37-40.

Series O Type 40 is similar but the figure is facing forward and the style of the monster is more of a creature in motion (?flying)

Here is my series O type 40

 

They are addictive and of very interesting designs. I collect later coins as well and even dabble in ancients but there’s something that draws me to these archaic early medieval pieces.

Many of my coins would not straight grade at PCGS. It goes with the territory with medieval coins that typically are dug out of the ground.

 

Thanks, @Nap! I had noticed the stylistic difference from series O but wasn’t aware of the mules. I think there may be some ID mistakes for sceatta in the PAS!

 

Hello, avez vous une idée pour celle ci?