Hello, This is my first post on the forum, so I am hoping it will be of interest... I have noted that there are quite a number of posts on here concerning sceats, which is great to see as generally the subject seems quite neglected. I only have a couple of sceats in my overall collection, but found both myself through my hobby of metal detecting. The sceat I am focussing on today is a W Series Sceat which I understand is classified as Metcalf D or in The Sceatta List as 108.50 Standing Figure with Button Tunic. The latter publication lists the coin as being extremely rare. I have arranged for the coin to be recorded within the Fitzwilliam Museum online database under reference 2020.0203. I hope that you will agree that the coin is in excellent condition, especially given it has been rolling around in a field for over 1000 years! Given the rarity, and the period of history which the coin comes from, it is one of my favourites and so if anyone has additional information on this or the W Series generally I would be grateful to receive it. For me a great deal of the pleasure in finding these objects is learning about them afterwards.
Very nice coin. (Here's the link to it: https://emc.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/full-record/20200203?&0=20200203). Some similar (but not as good) coins sold for £550 and £900 a few years ago https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?search=sceat&p=sale&sid=1442
Hi John, Thank you for the reply. Such a shame that they are so pricey, as I would like to add some more to my collection. There are some great varieties out there and they are pretty rare to find detecting wise.
Yes they are. Some of the other series are cheaper though. Primary Series (A to F) are often less than £200 for very nice coins. Other Secondary Series can be under £400 for quite good examples - just not Series K, S, V or W, as far as I've seen.
I appreciate the information John, and will direct my attention to the A to F varieties as they sound like a good starting point. Regards Graham
That's a lovely and rare sceat. I've yet to add a series W to the collection ... though I primarily focus on the continental sceats (and mainly on series D and E). As @John Conduitt mentions: ... which is true, if you know the sources. My collection is humble with 16 sceats, all series D (n=5), series E (n=10) and series G (n=1), though indeed all under 200 GBP with an average of 129 € (range 50-200 €). It's indeed an obscure collecting area, and there are so many unrecorded varieties and (unfunded) theories. This however also has some advantages: 1) if you recognize the sceatta as rare, and the owner does not, you can make some nice purchases, and 2) there is room for new theories and research to be developed. To illustrate, here is my nicest (and rarest) sceatta, a series D BMC type 10 (only c. 30-40 specimens known according to Metcalf and Opdenvelde). Due to its rarity, I was able to die-match it, and what's more, it came with a find location which fitted perfectly to the other known find locations. I've written a breakdown in this post (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ad...ceatta-to-the-collection.357883/#post-4313117), though the title is maybe a bit over the top Also, please share your other sceats!
Hi Roerbakmix, Thank you for your kind comments, the information and the link, which I have now read. I am really pleased with the responses to my post as through the replies I am already getting a lot more insight into the coinage than is generally available on the internet That type 10 is clearly incredibly rare and must be the pride of your collection. Regards Graham
Hi @Graham Blunden, you're welcome. Hope you enjoy the forum; there are a few sceatta enthusiasts (some reacted already), but @Nab really has the nicest sceatta collection on the forum.
Thanks Roerbakmix, I think I am going to, I think it was a post by Nab that showed up on an internet search and attracted me to join up in the first place.
Two gorgeous coins! I don't have anything rare, but I did pick up this one from Mike Vosper recently. British Anglo-Saxon. Secondary Sceattas. Circa AD 710-725. AR Sceat (11mm, 0.89g, 11h). Series J, type 85. Mint in Northumbria (probably. Eoforwic [York]). Obv: Large diademed head right within pelleted boarder. Rev: Outline of bird right on cross; quatrefoil to right; annulets flanking cross all within pelleted border. Ref: Abramson 18-19; SCBI 63 (BM), 474-7; North 126; SCBC 802; Mp345.
Hi Edessa, Thanks, I don't know enough about these coins yet to take much note of the rarity. I am currently more interested in the appearance and the period of history behind them. For me your coin is a lovely, clean example.
I was fascinated by sceats ever since my old aunt gave me the Seaby book about British coins, I maybe was seventeen... I wanted a Fantastic Quadruped. However, these coins were too expensive for me. It took almost half a century before I could buy one, and it was not perfect - but still.
Hi Pellinore, Isn't it strange how chance brings us to these things in life. My moment was when I dug my first one up whilst soaking wet and cold in a muddy field Loving the Fantastic Quadruped, a real piece of ancient art.
