Item number: A383

Year: AD 680-710

Material: Silver

Size: 11.6 x 11.3 x 1.2 mm

Weight: 1.2 g

Provenance: Noonans 2022

This is a “Sceat,” minted between AD 680 and AD 710 in an Anglo-Saxon society that was gradually embracing Christianity. The term “Sceat” in Old English signifies “wealth” or “coin.” Circulated in medieval English society, these sceat coins came in various designs. According to numismatic classification, this item belongs to the “Early Series B” type.

The obverse of the coin reflects Roman cultural influence, featuring a right-facing portrait adorned with a double pearl diadem, notable for its pronounced chin. Encircling the portrait is an “Ouroboros” motif, a serpent consuming its own tail, symbolising the cycle of life from birth to death. For the Anglo-Saxons, originally from Scandinavia and northern Germany, this imagery resonated with their Norse mythology. According to these myths, the giant serpent “Jörmungandr” was defeated by the thunder god Thor and encircled “Midgard” (the Earth) by biting its own tail. The myth foretells that if Jörmungandr releases its tail, a great battle will ensue, leading to the death of the gods and the destruction and silent end of the world, reflecting the deep Norse roots of the Anglo-Saxon culture.

While the coin’s outer rim was likely inscribed with Latin legend, the manual production methods of the time often resulted in uneven force application, leading to incomplete inscriptions and details.

The reverse of the coin also features an “Ouroboros” beaded circle, enclosing a protective circle, a cross, and a bird (either a dove or a peacock) perched atop the cross. The outer rim of the coin displays a cross and Latin inscriptions. This side of the coin juxtaposes Christian and Norse symbols, reflecting the transitional period in Anglo-Saxon England from traditional Norse beliefs to Christianity. This shift began in the late 6th century when King Æthelberht of Kent converted to Christianity, marking a significant cultural and religious transformation among the Anglo-Saxon communities.

The Anglo-Saxons arrived in Roman-controlled Britain in the 5th century as mercenaries from their Nordic homelands. As Roman influence waned, the region transitioned into the “Heptarchy” period, dominated by several Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Like their Roman predecessors, these kingdoms continually faced threats from emerging forces such as the Vikings and Normans across the seas. The Anglo-Saxon era concluded in AD 1066 when Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king, was defeated and killed by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, ushering in the Norman Conquest and the establishment of the Norman dynasty in England.

物件編號: A383

年代: 公元 680-710 年

材料: 銀

尺寸: 11.6 x 11.3 x 1.2 mm

重量: 1.2 g

來源: 諾南斯 2022

這是公元680至710年之間，居住在英格蘭逐漸走向基督化的盎格魯-撒克遜社會鑄造的「厚銀幣」，古英語的意思為「財富、硬幣」。流通於中世紀英格蘭社會的厚銀幣有許多不同的版型，按照錢幣學的分類，本物件屬於「早期B型」。

錢幣正面受羅馬文化影響，是戴著雙層珍珠頭飾的右側肖像，人物的凸下巴十分顯著。肖像外圍是一隻吞食自身尾巴的「銜尾蛇」圖騰，寓意出生至死亡的生命循環。對於原鄉來自斯堪地那維亞和北德一帶的盎格魯-撒克遜人來說，在他們之間流傳的北歐神話裡，一條名為「耶夢加得」的大蛇被雷神索爾打敗後，咬著自己的尾巴包圍「米德加德」(地球)。若耶夢加得鬆開自己的嘴將會有一場大戰降臨地球，眾神會被殺害且大地將會焚毀和沉默的末日場景，充分展現盎格魯-撒克遜的北歐淵源。錢幣外圍理當有打印拉丁銘文，不過該時代的錢幣為人力手工打造，因施力不均經常有缺漏銘文和細節的情況。

錢幣背面同樣有一道「銜尾蛇」珠圈，在內部分別有避邪圓環、十字架和矗立在上方的鳥(鴿子或孔雀)圖騰。錢幣外圍則能發現十字架和拉丁銘文字樣。錢幣的背面同時存在基督信仰和北歐信仰標誌，充分展現公元6世紀末起，領地位於肯特的艾塞爾伯特國王皈依基督教後，英格蘭的盎格魯-撒克遜社群從傳統的北歐信仰過渡至基督信仰的演變。

盎格魯-撒克遜人大約在公元5世紀，以傭兵身分從北歐原鄉抵達羅馬統治下的英格蘭。隨著羅馬勢力退出英格蘭，當地進入盎格魯-撒克遜人主導的「七國時代」。不過就像早先的羅馬人一樣，這些盎格魯-撒克遜王國也不斷面對來自大海彼端的維京人和諾曼人等新興勢力的挑戰。最終在公元1066年，盎格魯-撒克遜人的末代國王哈洛德二世在哈斯丁戰役中，遭到來自法國諾曼第的征服者威廉殺害，就此結束英國的盎格魯-撒克遜時代，進入全新的諾曼第王朝篇章。