COINS OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS.
Table of Contents The earliest coins of the Anglo-Saxon period appear to have been rude imitations of some of the later current pieces of their Roman predecessors in our island. It seems doubtful whether at first they had a coinage of their own, the probability being that those of the Romano-Britons continued, as they naturally would, to be circulated. Some of the sceattæ bear more or less rude figures and uncouth heads and devices, some being evident imitations of the well-known type of Romulus and Remus suckled by the she-wolf, and others of equally well known types. From the sceattæ, one of our common expressions at the present is derived. The word in the singular is sceat or scæt, and the Saxon sc being pronounced soft, as sh, became sheat or shæt. From this it naturally became corrupted into "shot," and thus "paying your shot" simply meant paying your money, or clearing your reckoning, and "not having a shot in your locker," being without money in cupboard, or purse. These early coins, some of which appear to bear Runic characters, cannot with any degree of certainty be appropriated to any kings.
The penny, penig, pening, or pending (said to be the diminutive of pand, a pledge, and also by some said to be derived from pendere, to weigh) is first named in the laws of Ina, king of the West Saxons, who began to reign A.D. 688. It was, as now, as has been conclusively shown, the 240th part of a pound, which weighed about 5760 grains; the weight of a penny was, therefore, 24 grains, which still in our tables constitute a "dwt." or "pennyweight."
The generally received opinion is that the first pennies as succeeding the sceattæ; and quite independent of the stycas, were struck by Offa, king of Mercia, from A.D. 757 to 796. "When the kingdoms of the Heptarchy were united in one sovereignty," as I have written on another occasion, "the mints were regulated by laws framed by the Wittenagemote, or Great Council of the Nation; but it was not till the time of Æthelstan (924-940), that it was appointed there should be one kind of money throughout the whole realm, and that no one should coin but in a town. According to Stow, 'Æthelstan made, seven coining mints at Canterbury, four for the king, two for the archbishop, and one for the abbot; at Rochester three, two for the king, and one for the bishop. Besides these, in London eight, in Winchester six, in Lewes two, in Chichester one, in Hampton two, in Shaftesbury two, and in every other town one coiner.' The coins remaining pretty well prove this, and show there were very few considerable towns without a mint; for besides those particularly mentioned in Æthelstan's law, there are coins of Derby, Bristol, Evesham, Exeter, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lincoln, Norwich, Shrewsbury, Thetford, Wallingford, Worcester, York, and other places. The probability is that the custom of impressing on coins the name of the town of the mintage began in the early part of the reign of Æthelstan."
One of the largest "finds" of Anglo-Saxon coins was made at Cuerdale, where, along with a vast number of foreign pieces, there were found:-
- 2 of Æthelred.
- 24 of Æthelstan II.
- 1 of Ciolwulf.
- 857 of Alfred.
- 45 of Eadwerd.
- 1 of Abp. Ceolnoth.
- 59 of Abp. Plegmund.
- 2 of Sitric.
- 1770 of St. Eadmund.
- etc.
Under the ordinary order of arrangement, the following may be taken as indications of the coins of Anglo-Saxon rulers:-
KINGS OF KENT. ÆTHILBERHT I., 725-764.
Table of Contents The sceat attributed to this king is doubtful.
EGCBERHT, 765-791.
Table of Contents The name is found as EGCBERHT RX. and on the reverse is the moneyer's name.
EADBEARHT, 794-798.
Table of Contents Obverse, the name EADBEARHT REX in three lines across the field.
Reverse, moneyer's name with device.
CUTHRED, 798-805.
Table of Contents Obverse, on some a profile bust, others three arms branching out from the inner circle, and extending through the legend, CVDRED REX or CVDRED REX CANT. Reverse, moneyer's name with similar device or cross, etc.
BALDRED, 805-823.
Table of Contents Obverse, bust or cross within inner circle, BALDRED, BELDRED, or BEALDRED REX CN or CANT. Reverse, moneyer's name, cross, etc. One of his coins has on the reverse DIORMOD MONETA, and within the inner circle, in two lines, DRVR CITS for Dorovernia Civitas or city of Canterbury, and is the earliest known instance of place of mintage appearing upon Saxon coins.
MERCIAN KINGS. OFFA, 757-796.
Table of Contents The coins of Offa are of great variety in type, of considerable beauty in design, and of better workmanship than most of the Saxon pennies. On the obverse is the name OFFA REX, or REX M, or REX MERCIORN. Reverse, various crosses and other devices and moneyer's name. Of these upwards of fifty are known, and some of them used Runic letters.
CYNEFRYTH.
Table of Contents Coins of this queen (supposed to be the wife of Offa) are known, and bear on one side the bust and moneyer's name; on the other her name and REGINA.
COENVVLF, 794-818.
Table of Contents The coins bear a marked resemblance to those of Offa, but are inferior in execution. The name is usually COENVVLF REX, with or without M for Mercia, and on the reverse the moneyer's name, and often the word MONETA. Upwards of fifty moneyers are known.
CEOLVVLF I., 819.
Table of Contents The appropriation of coins to this king is conjectural. The name occurs as CIOLVVLF or CEOLVVLF REX M, or MI or MCI or MERCI.
BEORNVVLF, 820-824.
Table of Contents Obverse, BEORNVVLF or BEORNWVLF REX, REX M, etc., with bust. Reverse, moneyer's name.
LUDICA or LUDICAN, 824, 825.
Table of Contents Obverse, LVDICA REX or RX, ME with bust. Reverse, moneyer's name, with cross, etc.
WIGLAF, 825-839.
Table of Contents Obverse, VVIGLAF REX M and bust. Reverse, moneyer's name, with cross.
BERTHVVLF, 839-852.
Table of Contents Obverse, bust, and name BERHTVLF or BERHTVVLF REX or REX M. Reverse, moneyer's name, with cross, etc.; one has a tall cross between T A, and another the Christian monogram within the inner circle. About twenty moneyers are known.
BURGHRED, 852-874.
Table of Contents Obverse, bust, and name BVRGRED or BVRGRD; RE, REX, or RECX M. Reverse, moneyer's name, usually in a line across the middle of the coin with MON above and ETA below. About one hundred and fifty varieties of moneyers' names are known.
CEOLVVLF II., 874.
Table of Contents The coins of this last of the Mercian kings are not very satisfactorily to be distinguished from those of Ceolvvlf I. They bear a bust and CIOLVVLF or CEOLVVLF REX.
KINGS OF THE EAST ANGLES. BEONNA.
Table of Contents Beonna or Beorn was contemporary with Offa. Obverse, BEONNA REX. Reverse, a cross within a square, from whose angles lines of dots project, and letters.
EADVALD, 819-827.
Table of Contents Obverse, EADVALD REX in three lines. Reverse, moneyer's name.
ÆTHELSTAN I., circa 828-837.
Table of Contents Obverse, bust or letter A, and name ETHELTTAN or ETHELZTAN REX or REX ANG. Reverse, moneyer's name, of which several varieties are known.
ETHELWARD, circa 837-850.
Table of Contents Same general character as the others, with ETHELWARD, AETHELVVEARD, ETHELVVEARD, or ETHELOARO, RE or REX. Reverse, crosses and moneyers' names.
BEORHTRIC, circa 852.
Table of Contents Obverse, letter A or AM, and name BEORHTRIC, BEORMIRIC, or BEORCHTRIC, RE or REX. Reverse, moneyer's name, etc.
EADMUND, OR ST. EADMUND, 855-870.
Table of Contents Obverse, letter A or cross and crescent, and name EADMVND or ADMVND; RE, RX, or REX, AN. Reverse, moneyers' names, etc., of which...
