How the 7th Century AD Brought the Penny to Anglo-Saxon England

In AD 410, the Roman Empire finally withdrew from Britannia, which stood at the outer reaches of the crumbling Empire. The period that immediately followed was classed as the Dark Ages. Yet, this term was coined by scholars who viewed Rome as the pinnacle of civilisation. The reality was more complex.

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In Britannia – England and Wales – mining, farming and the arts continued to flourish. While it is true that barter slowly replaced money for small, everyday transactions, Britain continued to trade with and be influenced by the larger world. We know this because when the earliest Anglo-Saxon period coins started to be minted, those small gold ‘shillings’ were modelled on the tremisses produced in Merovingian France. These appeared between AD 620–75 and are usually called thrymsa by numismatists.

Early Anglo-Saxon Coinage: From Gold Shillings to Silver Pennies

These coins were first produced by Eadbald of Kent and were prestige items, given as gifts or used legal tender in large transactions, such as land purchases or to pay taxes. It wasn’t until AD 675 that gold coins began to be replaced by small, thick silver pennies or denarii, which were modelled on the Anglo-Saxon sceatta (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Silver Sceatta from king Eadberht of Northumbria (AD 737- 58) (£450)

How the 7th Century Changed Coin Production in the United Kingdom

We don’t know if these pennies were produced as a response to a growing demand, or if the coins themselves fuelled trade, but these silver pieces are one of the most plentiful artefacts found from this period. And again, these coins demonstrate the links between Britain and the wider world.

The Role of Byzantine Bullion in Anglo-Saxon Silver Coins

A recent article in Antiquity detailed how a team of researchers have positively proved that it was Byzantine bullion, from the eastern Mediterranean, that fuelled silver coin production in 7th-century Britain and Europe. While silver from a mine in Melle, in

Charlemagne’s France, provided the silver, a century later. These pennies were simply made: moneyers would melt down the metal, beat it to form thin sheets, which would then be cut into discs to make blanks. Images were built up using small punches, meaning that they had to be simple and stylised. However, there is plenty of variety – all bursting with character and charm.

According to John Philpotts, Anglo-Saxon coins specialist at Silbury Coins Ltd: ‘Collecting the coinage from this period is like diving into a good fictional novel, immersed in a world of fanciful beasts and horned gods, brought to life by these little masterpieces.’

Why Was the 7th-Century Penny Important to England’s Economy?

It was in the 7th century AD that the penny emerged. No matter how debased it became, this coin was to become the backbone of English currency – and it remained so until the 14th century.

How Did Anglo-Saxon Kingdom Coins Evolve from Thrymsa to Sceatta?

Coin production in the 7th century can be divided into several periods: thrymsa (AD 620–75); sceatta primary phase (AD 680–710) (Figures 2–3); sceatta continental phase (AD 695–740); and sceatta secondary phase (AD 710–60) (Figure 4).

Figure 2: Anglo-Saxon primary phase silver sceatta of Aethelred of Mercia (AD 674-704)

Figure 3: Silver sceatta (series BI) from the Anglo - Saxon primary phase (AD 680 - 710)

Figure 4: Anglo - Saxon secondary phase (AD 710 - 60) silver sceatta of the series H 'Hamwic' type 49 (£875)

How Do You Identify and Value Anglo-Saxon Silver Pennies?

A primary-phase silver sceatta can be bought for £495. A rare Anglo- Saxon post-Crondall period gold thrymsa (AD 655–75) costs £3,850 at Silbury Coins.

All images courtesy of Silbury Coins 

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