Anglo-Saxon Sceat Primary Phase Silver Bird on Cross 675-690

Description

Heading: Anglo-Saxon Sceat – Bird on Cross 676-690

Denomination: Silver primary phase sceat, series BIA

Period: Anglo Saxon

Date: cAD680-690

Origin: Southern England

Condition: VF, dark patina, good portrait and a good proportion of legend is visible which is not always the case

Obverse: Diademed head, right, within clockwise beaded ouroboros, legend +VAN[TAVMV]AI or similar which may equate to the moneyer being Vanimundus

Reverse: Bird, right, on cross, berries before, annulets on cross of limbs, within beaded anticlockwise ouroboros

Size and Weight: 1.22g, 12mm

References: Spink 777A var, North 126, Abramson B215

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