COINS OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS.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 issceatorscæt, and the Saxonscbeing pronounced soft, assh, becamesheatorshæt. 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, orpending(said to be the diminutiveofpand, a pledge, and also by some said to be derived frompendere, to weigh) is first named in the laws of Ina, king of the West Saxons, who began to reignA.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, fromA.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.Thesceatattributed to this king is doubtful.EGCBERHT, 765-791.The name is found asEGCBERHT RX.and on thereverseis the moneyer’s name.EADBEARHT, 794-798.Obverse, the nameEADBEARHT REXin three lines across the field.Reverse, moneyer’s name with device.CUTHRED, 798-805.Obverse, on some a profile bust, others three arms branching out from the inner circle, and extending through the legend,CVDRED REXorCVDRED REX CANT.Reverse, moneyer’s name with similar device or cross, etc.BALDRED, 805-823.Obverse, bust or cross within inner circle,BALDRED,BELDRED, orBEALDRED REX CNorCANT.Reverse, moneyer’s name, cross, etc. One of his coins has on thereverseDIORMOD MONETA, and within the inner circle, in two lines,DRVR CITSforDorovernia Civitasor city of Canterbury, and is the earliest known instance of place of mintage appearing upon Saxon coins.MERCIAN KINGS.OFFA, 757-796.coinsThe 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 theobverseis the nameOFFA REX, orREXM, orREX 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.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 andREGINA.COENVVLF, 794-818.The coins bear a marked resemblance to those of Offa, but are inferior in execution. The name is usuallyCOENVVLF REX, with or withoutMfor Mercia, and on thereversethe moneyer’s name, and often the wordMONETA. Upwards of fifty moneyers are known.CEOLVVLF I., 819.coinThe appropriation of coins to this king is conjectural. The name occurs asCIOLVVLForCEOLVVLF REX M, orMIorMCIorMERCI.BEORNVVLF, 820-824.Obverse,BEORNVVLForBEORNWVLF REX,REX M, etc., with bust.Reverse, moneyer’s name.LUDICA or LUDICAN, 824, 825.Obverse,LVDICA REXorRX,MEwith bust.Reverse, moneyer’s name, with cross, etc.WIGLAF, 825-839.Obverse,VVIGLAF REX Mand bust.Reverse, moneyer’s name, with cross.BERTHVVLF, 839-852.Obverse, bust, and nameBERHTVLForBERHTVVLF REXorREX M.Reverse, moneyer’s name, with cross, etc.; one has atall cross betweenT A, and another the Christian monogramCRwithin the inner circle. About twenty moneyers are known.BURGHRED, 852-874.Obverse, bust, and nameBVRGREDorBVRGRD;RE,REX, orRECX M.Reverse, moneyer’s name, usually in a line across the middle of the coin withMONabove andETAbelow. About one hundred and fifty varieties of moneyers’ names are known.CEOLVVLF II., 874.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 andCIOLVVLForCEOLVVLF REX.KINGS OF THE EAST ANGLES.BEONNA.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.Obverse,EADVALD REXin three lines.Reverse, moneyer’s name.ÆTHELSTAN I.,circa828-837.Obverse, bust or letterA, and nameETHELTTANorETHELZTAN REXorREX ANG.Reverse, moneyer’s name, of which several varieties are known.ETHELWARD,circa837-850.Same general character as the others, withETHELWARD,AETHELVVEARD,ETHELVVEARD, orETHELOARO,REorREX.Reverse, crosses and moneyers’ names.BEORHTRIC,circa852.Obverse, letterAorAM, and nameBEORHTRIC,BEORMIRIC, orBEORCHTRIC,REorREX.Reverse, moneyer’s name, etc.EADMUND, OR ST. EADMUND, 855-870.Obverse, letterAor cross and crescent, and nameEADMVNDorADMVND;RE,RX, orREX,AN.Reverse, moneyers’ names, etc., of which above thirty varieties are known.ÆTHELSTAN II., 870-890.Obverse, letterAor cross and nameEDELSTIN,EDELSTAN,EDILARE, etc.;R,RE, orREX,AorAN.Reverse, moneyer’s name, of which several varieties are known.KINGS OF NORTHUMBERLAND.ECGFRITH, 670-685.Obverse, cross and nameECGFRID REX.Reverse, radiated cross andLVX.ALDFRID, 685-705.Obverse, cross and nameALDFRIDVS.Reverse, a four-footed animal.EADBERHT, 737-758.Nothing can be definitely asserted as to the coins of this king; those ascribed to him may belong to Ecgberht.MOLL ETHILWALD, 759-765.Two coins have been attributed to him, the name on theobversebeing on oneEDI[L]HD[L]V, and on the otherATHBADIV.ALCHRED, 765.Coins supposed to belong to him bear the nameALCHREDorA[L]CHRED.ELFWALD, 779-788.Some sceattæ bearing the wordE[L]FVA[L]VorVALD[F][E]LAon one side, and a quadruped on the other, have been ascribed to him.HEARDULF, 794-806.Obverse,HEARDVLF.Reverse, moneyer’s name, of which six are known.ELFWALD II., 806-808.The coins assigned to this king are uncertain.EANRED, 808-840.About two thousand coins of Eanred were found some years back at Hexham. His name is variously spelled, asEANRED REX, and the like, and the variety of names of moneyers numbers about a hundred.ÆTHELRED II., 840-848.About two thousand coins of this king were found at Hexham. Some bear his own name and that of his father Eanred. The name is spelledEDELRED,EDE[L]RED,AEILRED,AEDELRED, orAEDILRED,RorREX; and thereverse, the moneyer’s name and a device; the varieties of moneyers’ names numbering about a hundred.REDULF, 844.About a hundred of his stycas were found at Hexham.Obverse, cross andREDVLF,REDVVLF,REDVL, orREDVLE,RE RXorREX.Reverse, moneyers’ name, of which about a score of varieties are known.OSBERCHT, 848-867.Obverse, nameOSBERCHT,OSBERCHTE,OSBERCHE,OSBERCHEC,OSBRCHT,OSBERH, orOSBVEHT;R,RE, orREX.Reverse, moneyers’ names, of which about twenty varieties are known.ÆLLA, 862-867.It is doubtful whether the stycas said to belong to this king are correctly appropriated.HALFDEN, 875-883.From the time of Halfden both sceattæ and stycas ceased to be coined. A penny and a halfpenny of his were found at Cuerdale.Obverse, cross andALFDENEorVLFDENE,RXorREX.Reverse, moneyer’s name.SITRIC.Obverse,SITRIC COMEZin two lines across the coin, with crosses between;reverse, moneyer’s name in lines across the coin.CNUT, 883-900.Of Cnut no fewer than 2534 coins were found at Cuerdale in 1840.Obverse,CNVT,CNVTI,CVNNETTI(differently abbreviated),CNT, etc.;R,RN,RX,RIX,REX, etc. Some have a cross of various forms with the lettersCNVTterminating the four limbs, thusReverse, extremely varied, with crosses and other devices, and moneyers’ town or names, asEBRAICE CIVITAS,MIRABILA FECIT,SIEFREDVS, etc.SIEFRID,circa900.Obverse, crosses and name, asSIEFREDVS,SIEVERT,SIEVERTI, orSIUERT;R,RE, orREX. The cross with letters at ends of the limbs occurs on some, asReverse,names of moneyer or town with cross, etc., and on some the wordALWALD, 901-905.Obverse,ALVALDVSorALVVALDV.Reverse,DNSDSREXin two lines across the coin.SITRIC,circa921-926.Obverse,SITRIC REXin two lines across the coin divided by a sword;SITRIC CVNVNC Awith trefoil ornament; orLVDO SITRCin two lines with sword between, and hammer of Thor below, dividing the lower word.Reverse, crosses and crescents and lettering.ERIC, 927-954.Obverse.ERIC REX A, orAL,EBOR,EF,EN,IO,NorNO, orTO, in two lines divided by a sword.Reverse, moneyer’s name, etc.REGNALD, 912-944.Obverse, trefoil interlaced knot, or cross, and name,REGNALD CVNVL, orREG CVNVNC.Reverse, cross or “Danish Standard,” andAVRA MONITREorBA[ldri]C NOTR AL, etc.ANLAF.Obverse, cross, “Danish Raven,” or interlaced trefoil knot, and the nameANLAF,ONLAForONLOF,REX, orCVNVNC,T Dor other letters.Reverse, cross, Danish Raven, or Danish Standard, and moneyer’s name, followed byMONETA,MONE,MONETR,MINETER, etc., etc. About twenty varieties of moneyers’ names are known. Onereversehas the moneyer’s name,RADVLF, in a line across the coin, with a flower and leaves above, and flowers below.KINGS OF THE WEST SAXONS, etc.ECGBEORHT.coinObverse, profile, cross, or other device with nameECGBEARHT,AEGCBEARHT, orHECBEARHT;R,RE, orREX;SAXorSAXO.Reverse, crescents, tribrach, monogram, or cross and moneyer’s name, of which there are about thirty varieties known.ETHELWLF, 837-856.coinObverse, cross, bust, or monogram, etc., and nameETHELVVLF,ÆTHELVVLF,AETHLVLF,ETHELVLF,ETHELVVLFI, or other form;R,RE,REX, orREXX.Reverse, cross, monogram, or other device, and moneyer’s name. On some the titles of the king are continued on thereverse, asCANT,SAXONIORVM,OCCIDENTALIVM, etc. About sixty varieties of moneyer’s names are known.AETHELBEARHT; 856-866.coinObverse, bust with nameAETHELBEARHTorAETHEBEARHT,REorREX.Reverse, cross or other device, and moneyer’sname, etc. The one engraved bears in a cross the moneyer’s name [+]DEGBEARHT, andMOofMONETA, the last four letters of which (NETA) are between the limbs of the cross. Sixty varieties of moneyers’ names are known.AETHELRED, 866-871.Obverse, bust, or in one instance front of a temple, and name,AETHELRED,ETHELRED,EDELRED,ATHELERED, orATHLEDI;REXorREX ANG.Reverse, cross, or other device, and moneyer’s name, of which about thirty varieties are known.AELFRED, 872-901.Obverse, bust of the king on many coins, on others a cross or other device, with the nameÆLFRED,ÆLFRD,ÆLFD,EL,ELFRED, orAELFRED;R,RE,RXorREX;S,SAX,SAXONVM, etc.Reverse, various devices and moneyers’ names, of which about two hundred varieties are known. Some of his coins bear the monogram of London, or rather Londini, sometimes with or without the moneyer’s name, andMONETAand others with monograms of other places of mintage. The variety of forms and devices upon Alfred’s coins is exceptionally great.EDWEARD THE ELDER, 901-925.Obverse, bust, cross, star, or other device, and nameEADVVEARD REX SAXONVM. On some there is no device, and the name is arranged in three lines across the coin.Reverse, cross, building, bird, flower, or other device, and moneyer’s name, etc., of which there are about 130 varieties known.AETHELSTAN, 925-941.Obverse, crowned bust or cross, and nameÆTHELSTAN,ETHELSTAN,ÆDELSTAN, or abbreviated;RorREX, orREX SAXORVM, orREX TOTIVS BRITANNIÆ, etc.Reverse, cross, building, or other device, and name of moneyer, etc. On some the name is in lines across the coin, and some are devoid of all ornament. The names upon these coins, of towns where minted, are Derby, Bath, Southampton, Canterbury, Exeter, York, Gloucester, Hereford, Leicester, London, Langport, Norwich, Oxford, Rochester, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Stafford, Worcester, Wallingford, Wareham, and Winchester, and the number of known varieties of moneyers’ names closely approaches 220.EADMUND, 941-946.Obverse, bust, or cross and name, asEADMVND, orEDMEVNDI,REX.Reverse, small cross in centre of inner circle and moneyer’s name, or the name in lines across. The places of mintage are London, York, Exeter, Southampton, Leicester, Oxford, and Norwich, and the number of varieties of moneyer’s names over 160.EADRED, 946-955.Obverse, bust, or cross, etc., and name, asEADREDorETHRED REX, orREX ANGLOR, orREX SAXORVM.Reverse, moneyer’s name, either in the usual way or in lines across, and small cross or other device. The known towns of mintage on these coins are Exeter, Lincoln, and Norwich, and the number of varieties of moneyers’ names is over 160.EADWIG, 955-959.Obverse, bust or cross, and name, asEADVVIG REX.Reverse, moneyer’s name, etc., in usual way or in lines, with cross or other device. The towns of mintage are Exeter, Bedford, York, Southampton, Hereford, Huntingdon, London, Norwich, Worcester, and Winchester, and there are sixty known varieties of moneyers’ names.SOLE MONARCHS.EADGAR, 959-975.Obverse, bust or cross, and name, asEADGAR REX, orREX ANGLOR, or other abbreviation ofANGLORVM, orTO BI, orTOTIVS BRITANNIÆ.Reverse, moneyer’s names, etc. The towns of mintage are Bath, Bedford, Canterbury, Derby, Exeter, Ely, York, Canterbury, Gloucester, Ipswich, Southampton, Rochester, Huntingdon, Tutberge, Lewes, Leicester, Lyminge, Lincoln, Lynn, London, Malmesbury, Norwich, Oxford, Shrewsbury, St. Edmundsbury, Stamford, Thetford, Teignmouth, Wallingford, Winchelsea, Wilton, and Winchester; and the varieties in names of moneyers are almost innumerable.EADWARD (II.) THE MARTYR, 975-978.Obverse, bust, or cross, and name, asEADPEARDorEADVVEARD,REX,ANG,ANL, orANGLORVM, more or less abbreviated.Reverse, moneyers’, etc., names as usual. The towns of mintage are Bath, Bedford, Canterbury, Chester, Derby, Exeter, York, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cambridge, Southampton, Hertford, Lewes, Leicester, Lincoln, Lyminge, Lydford, London, Norwich, Oxford, St. Edmundsbury, Stamford, Tamworth,Thetford, and Winchester; the varieties in names of moneyers being above a hundred.AETHELRED II., 978-1016.coinObverse, bust of varied character with or without sceptre, etc., or Agnus Dei, with name, asÆDELRED,EDELRED, orEDELRÆD,REX,ANG,ANGL,ANGM, orANGLORVM, etc.Reverse, various crosses and other devices, or hand from heaven betweenAω, and moneyer and town names. The known names of mintages are Bath, Bedford, Buckingham, Canterbury, Cambridge, Chichester, Chester, Colchester, Derby, Dublin, Dover, Dorchester, Exeter, Godalming, Gloucester, Ilchester, Ipswich, Hertford, Hereford, Huntingdon, Jedburgh, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Sudbury, Lewes, Lancaster, Leicester, Lyminge, Lincoln, London, Lydford, Maldon, Malmesbury, Norwich, Oxford, Reading, Winchester, Castle Rising, Rochester, Stafford, Thetford, Totnes, Torksey, Warwick, Wallingford, Watchet, Worcester, Wilton, and Winchester.CNUT, 1016-1035.Obverse, bust, much varied, on some mitred, with or without sceptre, and name, asCNVT,REX,RECX,RECCX, orRXC;A,AN,ANGL, orANGLORUM, etc.Reverse, various crosses, etc., and moneyers’ and town names. Of the latter the following are known:—Bardney, Bath, Bedford, Bristol, Buckingham, Cadbury, Chichester, Cambridge, Castle Rising, Chepstow, Chester, Chichester, Canterbury, Colchester, Cricklade, Crewkerne, Dorchester, Dublin, Exeter, Ely, Ilchester, Ipswich, Gloucester, Godmanchester, Hastings, Hertford, Hereford, Huntingdon, Hythe, Lewes, Leyton, Langport, Leicester, Lydford, London, Maldon, Malmesbury, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Ribchester, Romney, Rochester, Salisbury, Sandwich, Southampton, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Steyning, Stamford, Stafford, Southwark, Taunton, Thetford, Totnes,Warwick, Watchet, Wallingford, Worcester, Wilton, Winchester, and York.HAROLD I., 1035-1040.coinObverse, bust, varied, and name, asHARALD,HAROLD,HLOD, orHARE...,R,RE,REX, orRECX,A, orAN.Reverse, cross, varied, and names of moneyer and town. The mint towns are Bath, Bedford, Bristol, Canterbury, Cambridge, Chichester, Colchester, Dover, Exeter, Ipswich, Lewes, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Norwich, Oxford, Rochester, Salisbury, Southampton, Nottingham, Stafford, Thetford, Warwick, Wilton, Wallingford, Worcester, Winchester, and York.HARTHACNUT, 1040-1042.Obverse, bust, varied, and name, asHARTHACNVT,HARTHECNVT,ARTHECNVT,HARNATHECN, or abbreviations,R,RE, orREX, and in one instance,AN.Reverse, cross, varied, and moneyer and town names. The latter, as known, are Bath, Bristol, Chester, Dover, Exeter, Guildford, Gloucester, Hereford, Huntingdon, London, Lincoln, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Salisbury, Stamford, Steyning, Southwark, Warwick, Worcester, and Winchester.EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, 1042-1066.Obverse, bust, varied, or king seated on throne with full regalia, and name, asEDWERD,EDWARD,EDWEARD,EADWARD,EADVVEARDVS,EADVEARD, etc.,R,RE, orREX,ANGLORVM, more or less abbreviated.Reverse, cross, varied, and other devices, orPAXacross the field, or the arms, a cross between four martlets, etc., and moneyers’ and mintage town names, among the known places of which are Aylesbury, Bath, Derby, Hastings, Southampton, Bedford, Bedwin, Berkeley, Bristol, Canterbury, Chichester, Cricklade, Colchester, Salisbury, Dover, Dorchester, St. Edmundsbury, Exeter, Lewes, York, Ilchester, Ipswich, Gloucester, Guildford, Hastings, Cambridge, Southampton, Hertford, Hereford, Horningdon, Huntingdon, Hythe,Longport, Leicester, Chester, Lincoln, London, Maldon, Malmesbury, Newport, Norwich, Oxford, Castle Rising, Rochester, Winchester, Sandwich, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Stamford, Stafford, Steyning, Sudbury, Southwark, Tamworth, Taunton, Thetford, Teignmouth, Warwick, Wallingford, Watchet, Wareham, Worcester, Wilton, Winchester, and York. About two thousand coins of this king were found near Steyning.HAROLD II., 1066.Although Harold reigned only nine months before his death at the battle of Hastings, there are several varieties of his coins known. They have the bust on theobverse, with the nameHAROLD REX ANG, orANGL; and on the reverse the wordPAXacross the field within the inner circle, and the moneyers’ and mintage town names. The names of known towns are Hastings, Bedford, Bristol, Canterbury, Chichester, Colchester, Cricklade, Derby, Dover, York, Exeter, Ilchester, Guildford, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cambridge, Hereford, Southampton, Huntingdon, Lewes, Leicester, Chester, Lincoln, London, Maldon, Norwich, Oxford, Rochester, Romney, Shaftesbury, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Stamford, Steyning, Southwark, Taunton, Thetford, Warwick, Wallingford, Wareham, Winchester, Worcester, and Wilton; and the variety in the names of moneyers numbers over a hundred.SAINTS AND ECCLESIASTICS.Coins bearing the names of St. Eadmund, St. Peter, and St. Martin. Of the first of these nearly 1800 were found at Cuerdale, and therefore they must have been struck before 905; they bear in one form or other the name of the saint. The next, vulgarly known as “Peter’s Pence,” are supposed to have been struck somewhere between 905 and 941; and those of St. Martin from 921 to 942.Archbishops, bishops and abbots, were in early times permitted to coin money. Those known before the time of Æthelstan’s decree that all the money in the kingdom should be uniform, are the following: of Canterbury, Archbishops Jaenbrht, 736-790; Æthelheard, 790-803; Vulfred, 803-830; Ceolnoth, 830-870; Ethered, 871-891; and Plegmund, 891-923. Of York, Archbishops Eanbald, 796; and Vigmund, 831-854.
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 issceatorscæt, and the Saxonscbeing pronounced soft, assh, becamesheatorshæt. 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, orpending(said to be the diminutiveofpand, a pledge, and also by some said to be derived frompendere, to weigh) is first named in the laws of Ina, king of the West Saxons, who began to reignA.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, fromA.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:—
Under the ordinary order of arrangement, the following may be taken as indications of the coins of Anglo-Saxon rulers:—
Thesceatattributed to this king is doubtful.
The name is found asEGCBERHT RX.and on thereverseis the moneyer’s name.
Obverse, the nameEADBEARHT REXin three lines across the field.
Reverse, moneyer’s name with device.
Obverse, on some a profile bust, others three arms branching out from the inner circle, and extending through the legend,CVDRED REXorCVDRED REX CANT.Reverse, moneyer’s name with similar device or cross, etc.
Obverse, bust or cross within inner circle,BALDRED,BELDRED, orBEALDRED REX CNorCANT.Reverse, moneyer’s name, cross, etc. One of his coins has on thereverseDIORMOD MONETA, and within the inner circle, in two lines,DRVR CITSforDorovernia Civitasor city of Canterbury, and is the earliest known instance of place of mintage appearing upon Saxon coins.
coins
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 theobverseis the nameOFFA REX, orREXM, orREX 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.
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 andREGINA.
The coins bear a marked resemblance to those of Offa, but are inferior in execution. The name is usuallyCOENVVLF REX, with or withoutMfor Mercia, and on thereversethe moneyer’s name, and often the wordMONETA. Upwards of fifty moneyers are known.
coin
The appropriation of coins to this king is conjectural. The name occurs asCIOLVVLForCEOLVVLF REX M, orMIorMCIorMERCI.
Obverse,BEORNVVLForBEORNWVLF REX,REX M, etc., with bust.Reverse, moneyer’s name.
Obverse,LVDICA REXorRX,MEwith bust.Reverse, moneyer’s name, with cross, etc.
Obverse,VVIGLAF REX Mand bust.Reverse, moneyer’s name, with cross.
Obverse, bust, and nameBERHTVLForBERHTVVLF REXorREX M.Reverse, moneyer’s name, with cross, etc.; one has atall cross betweenT A, and another the Christian monogramCRwithin the inner circle. About twenty moneyers are known.
Obverse, bust, and nameBVRGREDorBVRGRD;RE,REX, orRECX M.Reverse, moneyer’s name, usually in a line across the middle of the coin withMONabove andETAbelow. About one hundred and fifty varieties of moneyers’ names are known.
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 andCIOLVVLForCEOLVVLF REX.
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.
Obverse,EADVALD REXin three lines.Reverse, moneyer’s name.
Obverse, bust or letterA, and nameETHELTTANorETHELZTAN REXorREX ANG.Reverse, moneyer’s name, of which several varieties are known.
Same general character as the others, withETHELWARD,AETHELVVEARD,ETHELVVEARD, orETHELOARO,REorREX.Reverse, crosses and moneyers’ names.
Obverse, letterAorAM, and nameBEORHTRIC,BEORMIRIC, orBEORCHTRIC,REorREX.Reverse, moneyer’s name, etc.
Obverse, letterAor cross and crescent, and nameEADMVNDorADMVND;RE,RX, orREX,AN.Reverse, moneyers’ names, etc., of which above thirty varieties are known.
Obverse, letterAor cross and nameEDELSTIN,EDELSTAN,EDILARE, etc.;R,RE, orREX,AorAN.Reverse, moneyer’s name, of which several varieties are known.
Obverse, cross and nameECGFRID REX.Reverse, radiated cross andLVX.
Obverse, cross and nameALDFRIDVS.Reverse, a four-footed animal.
Nothing can be definitely asserted as to the coins of this king; those ascribed to him may belong to Ecgberht.
Two coins have been attributed to him, the name on theobversebeing on oneEDI[L]HD[L]V, and on the otherATHBADIV.
Coins supposed to belong to him bear the nameALCHREDorA[L]CHRED.
Some sceattæ bearing the wordE[L]FVA[L]VorVALD[F][E]LAon one side, and a quadruped on the other, have been ascribed to him.
Obverse,HEARDVLF.Reverse, moneyer’s name, of which six are known.
The coins assigned to this king are uncertain.
About two thousand coins of Eanred were found some years back at Hexham. His name is variously spelled, asEANRED REX, and the like, and the variety of names of moneyers numbers about a hundred.
About two thousand coins of this king were found at Hexham. Some bear his own name and that of his father Eanred. The name is spelledEDELRED,EDE[L]RED,AEILRED,AEDELRED, orAEDILRED,RorREX; and thereverse, the moneyer’s name and a device; the varieties of moneyers’ names numbering about a hundred.
About a hundred of his stycas were found at Hexham.Obverse, cross andREDVLF,REDVVLF,REDVL, orREDVLE,RE RXorREX.Reverse, moneyers’ name, of which about a score of varieties are known.
Obverse, nameOSBERCHT,OSBERCHTE,OSBERCHE,OSBERCHEC,OSBRCHT,OSBERH, orOSBVEHT;R,RE, orREX.Reverse, moneyers’ names, of which about twenty varieties are known.
It is doubtful whether the stycas said to belong to this king are correctly appropriated.
From the time of Halfden both sceattæ and stycas ceased to be coined. A penny and a halfpenny of his were found at Cuerdale.Obverse, cross andALFDENEorVLFDENE,RXorREX.Reverse, moneyer’s name.
Obverse,SITRIC COMEZin two lines across the coin, with crosses between;reverse, moneyer’s name in lines across the coin.
Of Cnut no fewer than 2534 coins were found at Cuerdale in 1840.Obverse,CNVT,CNVTI,CVNNETTI(differently abbreviated),CNT, etc.;R,RN,RX,RIX,REX, etc. Some have a cross of various forms with the lettersCNVTterminating the four limbs, thus
Reverse, extremely varied, with crosses and other devices, and moneyers’ town or names, asEBRAICE CIVITAS,MIRABILA FECIT,SIEFREDVS, etc.
Obverse, crosses and name, asSIEFREDVS,SIEVERT,SIEVERTI, orSIUERT;R,RE, orREX. The cross with letters at ends of the limbs occurs on some, as
Reverse,names of moneyer or town with cross, etc., and on some the word
Obverse,ALVALDVSorALVVALDV.Reverse,DNSDSREXin two lines across the coin.
Obverse,SITRIC REXin two lines across the coin divided by a sword;SITRIC CVNVNC Awith trefoil ornament; orLVDO SITRCin two lines with sword between, and hammer of Thor below, dividing the lower word.Reverse, crosses and crescents and lettering.
Obverse.ERIC REX A, orAL,EBOR,EF,EN,IO,NorNO, orTO, in two lines divided by a sword.Reverse, moneyer’s name, etc.
Obverse, trefoil interlaced knot, or cross, and name,REGNALD CVNVL, orREG CVNVNC.Reverse, cross or “Danish Standard,” andAVRA MONITREorBA[ldri]C NOTR AL, etc.
Obverse, cross, “Danish Raven,” or interlaced trefoil knot, and the nameANLAF,ONLAForONLOF,REX, orCVNVNC,T Dor other letters.Reverse, cross, Danish Raven, or Danish Standard, and moneyer’s name, followed byMONETA,MONE,MONETR,MINETER, etc., etc. About twenty varieties of moneyers’ names are known. Onereversehas the moneyer’s name,RADVLF, in a line across the coin, with a flower and leaves above, and flowers below.
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Obverse, profile, cross, or other device with nameECGBEARHT,AEGCBEARHT, orHECBEARHT;R,RE, orREX;SAXorSAXO.Reverse, crescents, tribrach, monogram, or cross and moneyer’s name, of which there are about thirty varieties known.
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Obverse, cross, bust, or monogram, etc., and nameETHELVVLF,ÆTHELVVLF,AETHLVLF,ETHELVLF,ETHELVVLFI, or other form;R,RE,REX, orREXX.Reverse, cross, monogram, or other device, and moneyer’s name. On some the titles of the king are continued on thereverse, asCANT,SAXONIORVM,OCCIDENTALIVM, etc. About sixty varieties of moneyer’s names are known.
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Obverse, bust with nameAETHELBEARHTorAETHEBEARHT,REorREX.Reverse, cross or other device, and moneyer’sname, etc. The one engraved bears in a cross the moneyer’s name [+]DEGBEARHT, andMOofMONETA, the last four letters of which (NETA) are between the limbs of the cross. Sixty varieties of moneyers’ names are known.
Obverse, bust, or in one instance front of a temple, and name,AETHELRED,ETHELRED,EDELRED,ATHELERED, orATHLEDI;REXorREX ANG.Reverse, cross, or other device, and moneyer’s name, of which about thirty varieties are known.
Obverse, bust of the king on many coins, on others a cross or other device, with the nameÆLFRED,ÆLFRD,ÆLFD,EL,ELFRED, orAELFRED;R,RE,RXorREX;S,SAX,SAXONVM, etc.Reverse, various devices and moneyers’ names, of which about two hundred varieties are known. Some of his coins bear the monogram of London, or rather Londini, sometimes with or without the moneyer’s name, andMONETAand others with monograms of other places of mintage. The variety of forms and devices upon Alfred’s coins is exceptionally great.
Obverse, bust, cross, star, or other device, and nameEADVVEARD REX SAXONVM. On some there is no device, and the name is arranged in three lines across the coin.Reverse, cross, building, bird, flower, or other device, and moneyer’s name, etc., of which there are about 130 varieties known.
Obverse, crowned bust or cross, and nameÆTHELSTAN,ETHELSTAN,ÆDELSTAN, or abbreviated;RorREX, orREX SAXORVM, orREX TOTIVS BRITANNIÆ, etc.Reverse, cross, building, or other device, and name of moneyer, etc. On some the name is in lines across the coin, and some are devoid of all ornament. The names upon these coins, of towns where minted, are Derby, Bath, Southampton, Canterbury, Exeter, York, Gloucester, Hereford, Leicester, London, Langport, Norwich, Oxford, Rochester, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Stafford, Worcester, Wallingford, Wareham, and Winchester, and the number of known varieties of moneyers’ names closely approaches 220.
Obverse, bust, or cross and name, asEADMVND, orEDMEVNDI,REX.Reverse, small cross in centre of inner circle and moneyer’s name, or the name in lines across. The places of mintage are London, York, Exeter, Southampton, Leicester, Oxford, and Norwich, and the number of varieties of moneyer’s names over 160.
Obverse, bust, or cross, etc., and name, asEADREDorETHRED REX, orREX ANGLOR, orREX SAXORVM.Reverse, moneyer’s name, either in the usual way or in lines across, and small cross or other device. The known towns of mintage on these coins are Exeter, Lincoln, and Norwich, and the number of varieties of moneyers’ names is over 160.
Obverse, bust or cross, and name, asEADVVIG REX.Reverse, moneyer’s name, etc., in usual way or in lines, with cross or other device. The towns of mintage are Exeter, Bedford, York, Southampton, Hereford, Huntingdon, London, Norwich, Worcester, and Winchester, and there are sixty known varieties of moneyers’ names.
Obverse, bust or cross, and name, asEADGAR REX, orREX ANGLOR, or other abbreviation ofANGLORVM, orTO BI, orTOTIVS BRITANNIÆ.Reverse, moneyer’s names, etc. The towns of mintage are Bath, Bedford, Canterbury, Derby, Exeter, Ely, York, Canterbury, Gloucester, Ipswich, Southampton, Rochester, Huntingdon, Tutberge, Lewes, Leicester, Lyminge, Lincoln, Lynn, London, Malmesbury, Norwich, Oxford, Shrewsbury, St. Edmundsbury, Stamford, Thetford, Teignmouth, Wallingford, Winchelsea, Wilton, and Winchester; and the varieties in names of moneyers are almost innumerable.
Obverse, bust, or cross, and name, asEADPEARDorEADVVEARD,REX,ANG,ANL, orANGLORVM, more or less abbreviated.Reverse, moneyers’, etc., names as usual. The towns of mintage are Bath, Bedford, Canterbury, Chester, Derby, Exeter, York, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cambridge, Southampton, Hertford, Lewes, Leicester, Lincoln, Lyminge, Lydford, London, Norwich, Oxford, St. Edmundsbury, Stamford, Tamworth,Thetford, and Winchester; the varieties in names of moneyers being above a hundred.
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Obverse, bust of varied character with or without sceptre, etc., or Agnus Dei, with name, asÆDELRED,EDELRED, orEDELRÆD,REX,ANG,ANGL,ANGM, orANGLORVM, etc.Reverse, various crosses and other devices, or hand from heaven betweenAω, and moneyer and town names. The known names of mintages are Bath, Bedford, Buckingham, Canterbury, Cambridge, Chichester, Chester, Colchester, Derby, Dublin, Dover, Dorchester, Exeter, Godalming, Gloucester, Ilchester, Ipswich, Hertford, Hereford, Huntingdon, Jedburgh, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Sudbury, Lewes, Lancaster, Leicester, Lyminge, Lincoln, London, Lydford, Maldon, Malmesbury, Norwich, Oxford, Reading, Winchester, Castle Rising, Rochester, Stafford, Thetford, Totnes, Torksey, Warwick, Wallingford, Watchet, Worcester, Wilton, and Winchester.
Obverse, bust, much varied, on some mitred, with or without sceptre, and name, asCNVT,REX,RECX,RECCX, orRXC;A,AN,ANGL, orANGLORUM, etc.Reverse, various crosses, etc., and moneyers’ and town names. Of the latter the following are known:—Bardney, Bath, Bedford, Bristol, Buckingham, Cadbury, Chichester, Cambridge, Castle Rising, Chepstow, Chester, Chichester, Canterbury, Colchester, Cricklade, Crewkerne, Dorchester, Dublin, Exeter, Ely, Ilchester, Ipswich, Gloucester, Godmanchester, Hastings, Hertford, Hereford, Huntingdon, Hythe, Lewes, Leyton, Langport, Leicester, Lydford, London, Maldon, Malmesbury, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Ribchester, Romney, Rochester, Salisbury, Sandwich, Southampton, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Steyning, Stamford, Stafford, Southwark, Taunton, Thetford, Totnes,Warwick, Watchet, Wallingford, Worcester, Wilton, Winchester, and York.
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Obverse, bust, varied, and name, asHARALD,HAROLD,HLOD, orHARE...,R,RE,REX, orRECX,A, orAN.Reverse, cross, varied, and names of moneyer and town. The mint towns are Bath, Bedford, Bristol, Canterbury, Cambridge, Chichester, Colchester, Dover, Exeter, Ipswich, Lewes, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Norwich, Oxford, Rochester, Salisbury, Southampton, Nottingham, Stafford, Thetford, Warwick, Wilton, Wallingford, Worcester, Winchester, and York.
Obverse, bust, varied, and name, asHARTHACNVT,HARTHECNVT,ARTHECNVT,HARNATHECN, or abbreviations,R,RE, orREX, and in one instance,AN.Reverse, cross, varied, and moneyer and town names. The latter, as known, are Bath, Bristol, Chester, Dover, Exeter, Guildford, Gloucester, Hereford, Huntingdon, London, Lincoln, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Salisbury, Stamford, Steyning, Southwark, Warwick, Worcester, and Winchester.
Obverse, bust, varied, or king seated on throne with full regalia, and name, asEDWERD,EDWARD,EDWEARD,EADWARD,EADVVEARDVS,EADVEARD, etc.,R,RE, orREX,ANGLORVM, more or less abbreviated.Reverse, cross, varied, and other devices, orPAXacross the field, or the arms, a cross between four martlets, etc., and moneyers’ and mintage town names, among the known places of which are Aylesbury, Bath, Derby, Hastings, Southampton, Bedford, Bedwin, Berkeley, Bristol, Canterbury, Chichester, Cricklade, Colchester, Salisbury, Dover, Dorchester, St. Edmundsbury, Exeter, Lewes, York, Ilchester, Ipswich, Gloucester, Guildford, Hastings, Cambridge, Southampton, Hertford, Hereford, Horningdon, Huntingdon, Hythe,Longport, Leicester, Chester, Lincoln, London, Maldon, Malmesbury, Newport, Norwich, Oxford, Castle Rising, Rochester, Winchester, Sandwich, Shaftesbury, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Stamford, Stafford, Steyning, Sudbury, Southwark, Tamworth, Taunton, Thetford, Teignmouth, Warwick, Wallingford, Watchet, Wareham, Worcester, Wilton, Winchester, and York. About two thousand coins of this king were found near Steyning.
Although Harold reigned only nine months before his death at the battle of Hastings, there are several varieties of his coins known. They have the bust on theobverse, with the nameHAROLD REX ANG, orANGL; and on the reverse the wordPAXacross the field within the inner circle, and the moneyers’ and mintage town names. The names of known towns are Hastings, Bedford, Bristol, Canterbury, Chichester, Colchester, Cricklade, Derby, Dover, York, Exeter, Ilchester, Guildford, Ipswich, Gloucester, Cambridge, Hereford, Southampton, Huntingdon, Lewes, Leicester, Chester, Lincoln, London, Maldon, Norwich, Oxford, Rochester, Romney, Shaftesbury, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Stamford, Steyning, Southwark, Taunton, Thetford, Warwick, Wallingford, Wareham, Winchester, Worcester, and Wilton; and the variety in the names of moneyers numbers over a hundred.
Coins bearing the names of St. Eadmund, St. Peter, and St. Martin. Of the first of these nearly 1800 were found at Cuerdale, and therefore they must have been struck before 905; they bear in one form or other the name of the saint. The next, vulgarly known as “Peter’s Pence,” are supposed to have been struck somewhere between 905 and 941; and those of St. Martin from 921 to 942.
Archbishops, bishops and abbots, were in early times permitted to coin money. Those known before the time of Æthelstan’s decree that all the money in the kingdom should be uniform, are the following: of Canterbury, Archbishops Jaenbrht, 736-790; Æthelheard, 790-803; Vulfred, 803-830; Ceolnoth, 830-870; Ethered, 871-891; and Plegmund, 891-923. Of York, Archbishops Eanbald, 796; and Vigmund, 831-854.