Anglo-Saxon and Norman Coins from the Royal Berkshire Collection

Foreword

Many of the processes which culminated in the unification of England can be traced back to the arrival of St Augustine and his missionaries in 597. A reassertion of Christianity brought with it a renewed emphasis on writing, learning, and codified legal systems.

In turn, this inspired a gradual redistribution of political power; away from numerous small territorial lordships towards a few dominant kingdoms. These developments helped to crystallise Bede’s ‘English People’ and it is to our great benefit that the social, political and religious changes of the seventh to ninth centuries are consistently reflected in the coinage of the period. No study of early medieval England can be considered comprehensive without thorough consideration of Anglo-Saxon money.

The earliest of England’s coins, the extremely rare gold Thrymsas (or Shillings), are not represented within this collection. Instead, we start with three Sceattas (or Pennies) struck during the early eighth century. The images present on these coins are varied in both their design and meaning, reflecting adherence to the new Christian dogma (lot 101), the influence of pagan precedents (lot 102) and a deep reverence for the Roman Empire (lot 103).

A series of reforms during the mid eighth century, evidenced here by a rare Penny of Beonna (lot 108), drastically changed the appearance the English currency. From this point onwards coinage was explicitly a royal instrument, and new designs incorporate the names of kings as standard. Now, the numismatic evidence blossoms as a historical source, complementing and challenging the contemporary written records. Indeed, it is because of the surviving coins that we understand Cynethryth’s prominent position within Offa’s court (lot 106); that Burgred of Mercia maintained a kingdom of significant power and influence (lot 107); and that Alfred the Great held London throughout the early 880s (lot 111).

It was under Æthelstan of Wessex, grandson of Alfred, that the whole of England once again fell under the control of a single leader; an arrangement not seen since the height of the Roman Empire. The significance of this was not lost on Æthelstan, who celebrated his position as Rex totius Britanniæ on both charters and coins (lots 118-119). The expansion of West-Saxon control also served to increase to the number of burghs striking money for the king. Æthelstan’s attempts to organise his new network of mint-places involved the first widespread use of mint-signatures on England’s coinage. This system, which retained considerable regional variation, was not wholly successful and following Æthelstan’s death geographical anonymity once again became the norm for England’s coinage (lots 120- 121). The vision for a system of centrally administered provincial mints was finally realised under Eadgar, who demonstrated throughout his reign a renewed enthusiasm for the use mint- signatures on coins (lots 122-4). A reform enacted towards the end of Eadgar’s reign in 973 finally standardised all of England’s money; all coins now carried a royal portrait on their obverse and both the moneyer’s name and a mint signature on their reverse. From Æthelred II’s reign onwards the appearance of England’s money was changed at regular intervals, with the preceding coinage recalled from circulation and re-struck, resulting in a period of varied and stimulating numismatic material (lots 125-38).

The Royal Berkshire Collection is defined by a preponderance of coins from the Wallingford mint. Established during the late 9th century as part of Alfred’s burghal defence scheme, Wallingford was located on the north-eastern border of West Saxon territory. The burgh was a significant foundation, allocated 2400 hides, and formed an appropriate site for a mint. Despite some suggestion that coins were struck at Wallingford during the earlier reigns of Alfred and Edward the Elder, explicit evidence for minting emerges only under Æthelstan. While well placed from a logistical perspective, Wallingford was ill suited to take advantage of the two main sources of silver available to English moneyers during the tenth and eleventh centuries; continental imports arriving at south-eastern ports, and treasure captured during campaigns in the Danelaw. Consequently, Wallingford’s output, while regular, was on the whole unsubstantial and specimens remain scarce today.

England’s minting infrastructure survived the initial years of the violent Norman conquest largely undisturbed, reflecting the apolitical nature of coin production within English society. At Wallingford we witness several moneyers whose careers continued past the political turmoil of 1066 (lots 139-41). Doomsday Book records that one moneyer within Wallingford had access to a house free of any rents of fees. The man in question, Svertingr (lots 142-4), began his career under Harold II and this may be another aspect of the Anglo-Saxon monetary system which survived into the Anglo-Norman period.

The monetary system which William inherited in 1066 provided a consistent and substantial stream of income. As England’s wealth was drained its ability to strike fresh coin became increasingly restricted. At many mint-places, including Wallingford, a gradual reduction in the number of moneyers working can be observed throughout William’s reign. Nevertheless, the high metallurgical and artistic standards set earlier in the eleventh century were vigorously upheld.