Anglo-Saxon Silver Sceat, Series G Portrait Type, Secondary Phase, AD 710-720

Description

Denomination: Silver sceat (plural sceattas)

Period: Early Anglo-Saxon

Date: AD 710-720

Origin: Possibly York 

Condition: VF+

Obverse: Diademed bust. right. cross in front. beading around

Reverse: Beaded standard enclosing three saltires and a trefoil of pellets around a central annulet with pellet to centre

Size and Weight: 13mm. 1.02g

References: Spink 800. Abramson 20

Features and Provenance: After the Romans left Britain. a power vacuum emerged. Regional tribal leaders fought for land and invaders took arrived from germany and Scandanavia. This time of turmoil we romantically call the Anglo-Saxon period but it eventually shaped what we are today. Britain was split into kingdoms and ruled by rival ‘kings’. There was no coinage to speak of but the silver sceat emerged with the influence of Merovingians and Roman references. Our example may well have the portrait of Constantine once he converted to Christianity and the emblem on the reverse is supposed to be a Roman standard. There are well over 800 forms of this coin. 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