{"id":1064,"date":"2026-02-05T17:55:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T06:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/?p=1064"},"modified":"2026-02-05T17:55:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T06:55:57","slug":"collection-focus-the-dawn-of-the-penny-anglo-saxon-sceat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/?p=1064","title":{"rendered":"Collection Focus: The Dawn of the Penny (Anglo-Saxon Sceat)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We have traveled from the modern milled coins of the 20th century, past the hammered copper of Charles II, all the way back to the Early Medieval<\/strong> period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This coin was minted roughly 300 years before<\/em> the Battle of Hastings. It belongs to a fascinating series known as Sceattas<\/strong> (singular: Sceat). These were the first true silver pennies of England, circulating during the reigns of the early Anglo-Saxon kings like Ine of Wessex or Offa of Mercia (though Sceattas rarely bear a King’s name).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Historical Context: Abstract Art<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you look at this coin and think “that doesn’t look like a person,” you aren’t alone. Unlike the realistic portraits of the Romans, Anglo-Saxon art was abstract and symbolic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The imagery is often described as “Celtic” or “Teutonic.” It relies on patterns, curves, and stick figures. This was the era of Beowulf<\/em> and the Sutton Hoo treasure. The coin reflects that world: mysterious, slightly pagan, and utterly distinct from the classical world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coin: Secondary Phase Silver Sceat (c. 710\u2013760)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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