newps: a pair of Anglo-Saxon sceattas

EVillageProwler

A primary sceat, circa 680-710. It's small: 11mm and 1.21g. Minted in Essex or East Anglia. S-777B.



A continental sceat, circa 730/50 - 775/800. 12mm, 1.03g. Minted in Frisia (Dorestad). S-790V.

FilthyBroke

These are VERY cool! I wish I knew more about them though. I've seen the Frisian "porcupine" before, but the first one has me curious... I wonder what the object is above the cross? A bird maybe?


BTW, great examples!

EVillageProwler

@FB: thanks. Yes, that's a bird above the cross on the primary sceat.

And before anyone asks, they're "raw" but graded by the seller as good or superb EF. The metal and surfaces of both pieces are quite nice.

A friend wants me to get these and a couple others slabbed, but I'm resistant so far.

EVP

ormandh

Very cool indeed!

BS

Congrats, both are very nice.

Swampboy

Awesome silver.
As tiny as they are I would prefer to enjoy them raw rather than slabbed.

Either way..

lordmarcovan

Ooh, you gotta love 'em. Tiny toners! Those look really nice in the pictures.

Stuff like this has long bewildered me a bit by its crude and primitive nature, but I've always found them historically fascinating.

Lately I've been listening to The History of England podcast (in fact, I just hosted a coin giveaway there and with FilthyBroke's help, we're also gonna give away an Edward I penny when the podcast gets there chronologically.) *

When I started listening to the podcast, David Crowther, the author, suggested the Bernard Cornwell "Anglo-Saxon" novels as good historical fiction and I read three of those. (I used to enjoy Cornwell's Napoleonic Sharpe novels, years ago.) These books put me in a bit of a Dark Ages mood and I've since had my interest in this period awakened somewhat.

* I highly recommend the History of England podcast (as well as the epic History of Rome podcast and Lars Brownworth's Twelve Byzantine Rulers) as a good way to perk up your brain cells when driving to work or doing any sort of drudgery. They get me through my night auditor shifts nicely. I can let my mind stroll the corridors of ancient history while still leaving my hands and eyes free in the 21st century to do the dull spreadsheets I'm working on.