Description
Denomination: Silver primary phase sceat, series B1
Period: Anglo Saxon
Date: cAD680-710
Origin: Southern England
Condition: VF, dark patina and well centred for type
Obverse: Diademed head, right, within clockwise beaded ouroboros
Reverse: Bird, right, on cross, annulets by horizontal cross limbs, within beaded ouroboros
Size and Weight: 1.0g, 12mm
References: Spink 777, North 126, Abramson 16.10
Features and Provenance:
The diademed heads were based on the emperors on the late Roman coinage; few are inscribed but when they were, runes were often used for description instead of Latin text. Few can be directly attributed to any particular leader with the exception of Aethelbald, King of Mercia. The ouroboros depicted on this coin consists of a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, forming a continuous circle. It represents the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth and was also used by the Greeks and Egyptians. From the ancient Greek, ouroboros means “tail-devourer”. The old English meaning of ‘sceat’ is ‘wealth or money’, although it is uncertain what they would have called these coins it may very possibly have been ‘penny’.
Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between
Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear
Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear, all parts of legend etc present, visible and clear
Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief, all parts of legend etc present, but maybe worn
Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible
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