I have had this tiny Anglo Saxon styca for about a year now, I have always loved the Viking/Anglo Saxon England period and this coin is a gem in my collection as dull as it looks Because if it I’ve been learning old English and reading Beowulf in its mother language. Post coins that have sparked interest in a part of history for you. Wes þú hál! bonus if you speak the language of the time.
I share an interest in these dark ages! Below is my subcollection of Anglo-Saxons: ANGLO-SAXONS, Æthelred II (966-1016) Denomination: Penny, minted: England, Winchester, Moneyer: Ælfsige; 978-1017 Obv: +AEDELRAED REX ANGL. Head of Aethelred II, draped, to the left. Rev: +AELFSIGE MO PINT. Voided Long cross without inner circle. Weight: 1.74g; Ø:19mm Catalogue: Spink 1151 Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 05-2019 ANGLO-SAXONS, 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 Catalogue: Abramson 87.30; OdV&K 297-8; SCBI 63 (BM), 303-6; North 49; SCBC 789 Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 11-2019 ANGLO-SAXONS, Annonymous Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series E, Primary ('Ashton Rowant') phase, plumed bird var. L (Type 6).), minted: Possibly Dorestad (The Netherlands); 695/700-710/5 AD Obv: “Plumed bird” right; pellet-in-annulet below beak Rev: Standard; pellet-in-annulet at center and in corners, separated by either double- or triple-pellet groups; lines in margin Catalogue: Continental series E, Primary ('Ashton Rowant') phase, plumed bird var. L (Type 6). Abramson 87.10; SCBI 63 (BM), 312–7; North 49; SCBC 791 Provenance: Found in province of Zeeland (the Netherlands) 2018. Ex private collection 11-2019; acq.: 11-2019 ANGLO-SAXONS, 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 Provenance: Ex private collection (10-2019); acq.: 10-2019 ANGLO-SAXONS, Annonymous Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series E, sub-variety D), minted: Possibly Dorestad (The Netherlands); 720-740 AD Obv: Purcipine type, "V" near head, small cross at the left Rev: Square, with central annulet. Two "T" at each side, / \ below, with two pellets in between. Provenance: Ex private collection (10-2019); acq.: 10-2019 ANGLO-SAXONS, Annonymous Denomination: AR sceatta (series D, type 8), minted: Frisia or Domburg; 695-715 AD Obv: Central cross with garbled runic legend around Rev: Standard with central annulet, Provenance: Ex Jan van Bergen; acq.: 11-2019 ANGLO-SAXONS, Annonymous Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series D, type 2c, sub-variety 3c), minted: Possibly England; 695-715 AD Obv: Abstract head Rev: Central cross with four pellets around, below annulet, above cross patté, runic letters around. Provenance: Ex private collection (09-2019); acq.: 09-2019
Nice new acquisition and good luck with learning Old English! Medieval philology is a wonderful field. Much of my medieval German collection, including the coins below, is somewhat connected to my rather large fascination for Old and Middle High German literature and language. Under the early Salian emperors, anonymous regional moneyer, "Saxon penny", ca. 1025–1060 AD, struck in the Saale region close to Naumburg. Obv: legend of strokes and I-X-?-V (CRVX–type), cross with pellets and ringlets in quadrants. Rev: egend of strokes and C-V-X-?(CRVX–type), cross of wedges. 16mm, 1.17g. Ref: Dannenberg 1338 var (1337 on plate due to printing error). Archbishopric of Magdeburg, bracteate penny, ca. ca. 1270–1280. Obv: St. Maurice, wearing armour, standing facing, holding lance and lance flag; ringlets r. and l.. Rev: negative design (bracteate). 20mm, 0.73g. Ref: Berger 1603–1605; Slg. Bonhoff 719.
Having a lot of family in Britain, I imbued early British history (hence my pseudonym!), and having learned English but also Latin at school, I think I'm well poised for starting to collect early British coins. But somehow it never took off really. I have a few sceattas and one or two British Celtic coins, but drifted off to the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. Here's a thread, started by our member @Nap , where you can find some more fine sceattas and information. And here are some of my sceats (three of the five):
Yes, they are – if you want to do more reading on this subject, I can strongly recommend this book. It's very reabable yet thorough, and it certainly changed my perspective on the family connections between the early medieval Germanic languages:
