Roerbakmix

Thanks. Yours is nice; I like the chin. It’s not included in the die corpus (neither are mine): https://jaarboekvoormuntenpenningkunde.nl/jaarboek/2003/2003a.pdf Here’s a snapshot of my 2c sub-collection:

@Anaximander Besides the books you mention, the book by Tony Abramson (sceatta list, 3th edition) is an excellent introduction to the coin types. He groups the coins based on design, though he follows the series by Rigold. Most auction houses today refer to his book in auction descriptions ( e.g. SL 3-70). For a good understanding of the background, the books by Metcalf are still the standard work. The books on series D and E by Metcalf and Op den Velde are more recent and much more detailed than Metcalf. They can be found in this post: If you're interested, you can search @Nap's post history, or mine.

I also suffer from a similar disease, Hyperbolic Obsessive Sceatta Trauma Syndrome (HOSTS). Luckily, they're much smaller than attic tetradrachms.

Perhaps @AnYangMan.

I recently bought a small lot of sceattas from a UK coin dealer. He bought them from a metaldetectorist. Sadly, there was no provenance. The group lot contained 11 sceattas (4x series D BMC 2c, 4x series E, 1x series K, and 3x series C) - all from the late primary phase / early secondary phase. Two coins were an obverse and reverse die match, which suggest these coins might have been found together or at least in the same area. Instead of writing up a detailed post as I planned, I decided recently to post short threads instead of posting nothing at all. This week, I posted: An update to my nummular brooch The fun of being a specialist collector A Viking trade weight with a gilded silver inset Today's post will be on die-matches in my collection, and a brief introduction on the diverse series D BMC 2c sceattas, based on the publication by Metcalf and Op den Velde in 2003. The coins: The strike of coin 1 is slightly to the left, showing detail that is not visible on coin 2 (the large A). There is a large scratch over the bust, which is in the patina and (thus) must be old. Test cuts on sceattas are relatively uncommon, though three hoards (Cothen, Metz and Föhr) contained a high percentage of test cuts. Notably, one other coin in this group lot showed two small cuts (a series C, also on the bust), but to me these cuts looked more like scratches than deliberate cuts. Coin 2 is slightly more to the right, showing atypical runes for the issue (I's, with zig-zag lines between). This places these coins at the end of series D BMC 2c - see later. The reverse of both coins show a very atypical pelleted-annulet. Series D - a brief introduction The series D sceatta is usually attributed to the continent. Metcalf & Op den Velde (JMP 2003) note the stylistic similarities between the primary phase series A, and the later series C and R. The series is divided in three groups: BMC 2c: the largest group, with the obverse closely imitating series C the design of the bust, and the Runic legend AEPA (ᚫᛈᚪ). Yet, no die links between series C and BMC 2c have been identified. The reverse shows a central cross pommee, with four large pellets in each corner, surrounded by large pseudo-legends. This reverse design is not shared by any other series, however, it is not uncommon to encounter on Merovingian tremisses or deniers. BMC 8: the ‘reverse reverse mule’, a much smaller group of the series combining the reverse of BMC 2c with the reverse of series E. The presence of both BMC 2c and BMC 8 in the Aston Rowant and Remerden hoard indicate these coins were contemporary. No die-links between BMC 8 and BMC 2c have been identified. BMC 10: a rare, very small group (around 30 were known by Metcalf and Op den Velde in 2003). The bust is very similar to the Anglo-Saxon series A or (early) C, whereas the reverse shows a moon-faced ‘porcupine’ figure, though atypicial of series E. Three large, Latin letters spell “TILV” on the reverse, the meaning of which is unknown (an attribution to the Dutch trade port Tiel, or TILVS has been suggested).

I can see how it slightly mismatches with the design of the hallway, but why not go all the way and find the other 1150!

Instead of starting a comprehensive write-up and running out of spare time to finish it, I've decided to write short threads on a series of additions. I explained and illustrated the fun of being a specialist collector, and posted about a Viking trade weight with gilded silver inlay. Today, I'll give you an update on my nummular brooch, and ask for help of Medieval specialists such as @Tejas, @JeandAcre, @John Conduitt, @AnYangMan and @Nap. The nummular brooch, or pseudo-coin fibula, was discussed here when I bought it back in 2022, freshly dug from Zeeland, a coastal province in the Netherlands. The obverse shows a figure to the right, with a legend that has so far defied interpretation: it's either a garbled pseudo-legend, or names a local chieftain from the period (who knows!) Fouth letter = C : EVOCNCVS, EVOCHCVS, EVOCACVS Fouth letter = G : EVOGNCVS, EVOGHCVS, EVOGACVS Fouth letter = N : EVONNCVS, EVONHCVS, EVONACVS or, with the CVS >> DVS: Fouth letter = C : EVOCNDVS, EVOCHDVS, EVOCADVS Fouth letter = G : EVOGNDVS, EVOGHDVS, EVOGADVS Fouth letter = N : EVONNDVS, EVONHDVS, EVONADVS I shared photos of the brooch with Frisian linguists, hoping for an interpretation, and though it sparkled interest and discussion, no sensible interpretation followed. I also discussed it with Simon Coupland, the foremost authority on Carolingian coinage couldn't make sense of it either. In the end, with help from @AnYangMan who found photo's of similar examples, we tentatively dated is as Carolingian. In the past two years, I've searched for examples online, both in databases such as PAS (and the Dutch equivalent PAN), the Dutch NUMIS database, but also on fora of metal detectorists. I found a number of poor examples, all die-match (or 'mold match', more correctly). The update ... The update regards the reverse. On my brooch, this is just the incuse of the obverse. On a metal detectorist forum, I found a thread that provides new information on my example. I edited the photo's and tweaked a bit with the contrast to make it more legible: The brooch is 26 mm (mine is 34) and it weighs 4.95g (mine 10.53). No find location was given, and so far, the finder hasn't reacted to my request for more information. I was immediately interested by the reverse which on this example wasn't incuse, but showed a legend between two circles, with a small central cross, much like Carolingian and Ottonian coins. The obverse was very similar to mine - in fact: it was a die-match. Here, I show both obverses together, true to size: Having thus concluded that the obverses were die-matched ('mold matched'), both brooch had to be made in the same workshop. The reverse of the new find is thus relevant to my example. Again, I tweaked a bit with brightness and contrast: But here I'm stuck again: what is the reading of the legend? The letters I'm quite certain about: +bYB.T..N... perhaps: +bYBUT..N..A But really - though it feels I'm close to a more precise dating of my brooch, I'm stuck again! Feel free to speculate on the reading 🙂

Following my post yesterday on a Viking trade weight with gilded silver inlay (>>link<<), today I'll post a little write up on a very recent addition which illustrates a fun aspect of a specialist collection: identifying rare varieties. The deeper down the rabbit hole, the easier it becomes to spot them. First, the coin. Series A - imitative. Obv: Bust with curved diadem to the left. Large letter A before. Reverse: Beaded square around radiating Ts and Is around central pellet. Weight and diameter: still have to measure it 🙂 Tony Abramson places this coin under series A in Sceatta List, under #3-70 (photo SPINK, AUCTION 21060, LOT 600), edited by me to give the correct orientation of the reverse. This specimen from the Abramson collection is the only other example I could find, which makes my coin the second known. It's clearly a die-match, both obv. and rev. Series A is the earliest series of sceattas following the gold Thrymsa's. They are dated ~ 680 AD and are usually attributed to East Anglia. The series typically show a bust to the right with Latin "TIC" before. After 680, the series evolved to series C and, later, series R. So what makes this coin stand out? First: it's left facing. As in other fields, left facing sceattas are very rare. In series E, the most diverse, unstandardized and imitated series, only a very small fraction (my estimation is 1:100 coins) are left facing - in the other series, this is even less common. Second, the orientation of the TT II on the reverse is very uncommon. Even in the later and less standardized series R, the letters on the reverse almost invariably show "TT o II" with the TT's vertical. Though admittedly this is a very minor deviation, it's uncommon. Finally, the large A before the bust (clearly visible on my coin) is odd and must have some meaning. My coin adds this design, as it's off flan of the coin from the Abramson collection (which is an obv/rev die match). The same A is closely copied by Series A, C, and R. Series A was quickly imitated on the continent, leading to series D, with (in contrast to series A) has Runic legends (usually reading EPA). On many coins from series D, also behind the bust, there is the same large A. See for example this coin from my collection: (which, by the way, is also a recent addition). So the A must have had some meaning, as it was so closely copied in series A, C, D, and R - even on the more imitative / unstandardized specimens. Perhaps the answer lies in the more off-center examples: on my coin, there's also part of a letter visible below the A, perhaps a V? Unfortunately, the dies of sceattas were usually much larger than the coins, so we'll have to wait for an example that is off-center to the lower-left. Finally, should we place this sceatta in series A? Or in the more unstandardized series R? I'm unsure. This coin from my collection was attributed by @Tony Abramsonand Chris Timms (expert on series R) to series R for example: I'm interested to hear some opinions. Perhaps @Nap, @Tejas or @John Conduitt or others?

Life has been rather busy for me, wrapping up my Ph.D (public defense scheduled at 10 October 2024!), but I've been lurking the forum. My night shifts in the hospital are usually the moments I've time to write down some of my new additions, but even those have been extremely busy. I have been adding some really nice early medieval coins and artifacts. So I decided to write a short thread on those, instead of a long write-up as I had planned. This super cool weight was offered as part of a group-lot of early medieval and Roman metal detecting finds. It included a broken Saxon disk head pin (see below) and some random scrap pieces. As I eyeballed a Viking coin weight with a gilded sceatta-inset shortly before, I immediately noted and recognized this weight as a Viking weight. Gilded Viking trade weights are rather rare and sought after. Not much is known about the trade economy of Vikings (at least, not by me). A master thesis on the subject by Rebekah Hiett, kindly brought to my attention by Gary Jonhson, a collector of these weights, tried to answer the questions (1) why did the Vikings inset their lead weights, and (2) why did they choose the items that they did. Hiett suggests the weights are related to the Great Army conquest in East Anglia in 865, after which the Anglo Saxons paid their 'piece money', i.e. large sums of silver and gold to maintain peace. As far as I understand, the Viking trade economy was mostly bullion-orientated, meaning that silver and gold objects were cut in pieces which had to be weighed. The trader probably had an abundance of cut brooches, fibulae, jewelry, and other valuable objects readily at hand to choose from. This still doesn't answer the question why the Viking traders inset their weights. Hiett suggests that the objects were both symbolic and valuable. The persons responsible for weighing - likely a smith or perhaps the leader of a small band of Vikings - probably were involved in acquiring these objects in a raid as well. Using symbolic objects, as in my weight, probably showed a certain authority. This weight was found in the 1990s by a metal detectorist in Norfolk. It's heavy at 121.33g - one of the heaviest weights in the corpus of Hiett. My interpretation of the gilded silver inset, which is probably cut from a brooch or fibula, is two birds with open wings looking towards each other. The large pellet-within-annulet perhaps shows the sun. The weight is very chocolate brown and pleasantly heavy in hand. ARTEFACT, Viking. Mostly lead, with gilded silver inset Find location: Presumably Norfolk Published: emailed to British Museum, no response Chocolate brown heavy round lead weight with a gilded silver inlet. The inlet shows two birds facing each other. A central pellet-within-annulet between. Various sratches under the patina, but no markings. The object is slightly oval, and measures 33x31x16mm (inset: 15.7x9.5mm). It weighs 121.33g. As a bonus, this is the broken Saxon disk head pin that was included in the group lot as well. Kindly share your interpretation of the gilded silver inset, or anything else you find relevant!

A Roman Scalpellus (scalpel) This part of what once was a Roman scalpel was gifted to me by a metal detectorist living in Limburg, the most Southern province of the Netherlands with a rich Roman history. I'm a moderator on a metal detectoring forum (www.bodemvondstenwereld.nl), where I moderate the section on sceattas. I bought a large number of Celtic coins from him, and somewhere, I must have told him that I'm a medical doctor, because he sent me this cool find of him. Roman scalpel (scalpellus). Bronze, with silver inlays. Iron remains of the blade, clasped in the bronze handle. Weight 21.94g, dimensions 45.6 x 11.4 x 8.2 mm. It's very similar to this Roman Scalpel, found in Ficarolo (Italy), showing similar silver inlays: Intact, the scalpel might have looked like this (second one): A fresco in Pompeii, showing the use of the scalpel (this scalpel? Who knows!)

The collection of antiquities of @DonnaML and others inspired me to photograph my very modest collection. A very local find: a 'Lakenlood' from Leiden, found in Leiden The first one is a so called 'lakenlood', literally translated as cloth lead, made and found in the Dutch city Leiden. In the 16th and 17th century, Leiden was famous for its textile industry. Thousands of textile workers from the Southern Netherlands, England, Germany and France, who had had to leave their countries on political or religious grounds, found employment in Leiden and contributed to its success. In the seventeenth century, Leiden cloth found its way onto the world market through Amsterdam. In the same way, raw materials such as wool, cotton, silk and colorants arrived in Leiden from South Europe, Asia and North and South America. Thousands of men, women and children manufactured the famous Leiden cloth in a home industry system. In order to guarantee the quality, the city's administration founded seven inspection halls for various types of fabric. The Laecken-Halle (Cloth Hall) that was founded in 1641, was the most significant hall. To guarantee the quality, the exported cloth was tested in the Laecken-Halle, a richly decorated building, showcasing the success of the textile industry in Leiden. The building has been converted to the city museum (Leiden, the city with one of the oldest universities of Europe, by the way, has a relatively large number of museums: the 'rijksmuseum van oudheden' (national museum of antiquities), with an impressive Egyptian collection, 'Naturalis' (natural history), 'Boerhave museum' (a museum on the history of science, named after Hermanus Boerhave, the founding father of modern medicine), the 'Siebold huis' (a museum on the relations between the Netherlands and Japan), the 'volkenkundig museum' (National Museum of Ethnology), and the 'anatomisch museum', a local collection of the Faculty of Medicine, which is not open to public (but, as an alumnus on that faculty, I had the privilege to visit it multiple times). Earlier, Leiden also housed the national coin collection, but unfortunately, that collection is now stored safely away in a vault somewhere. The 'Museum de Lakenhal' houses an impressive collection of Dutch Masters, including Rembrandt, Lucas van Leyden, Gerrit Dou, Jan Steen, and others. It has recently been renovated and expanded. It's well worth a visit. The quality of the textile, ready for export, was guaranteed with the Lakenlood, usually giving some information on where the cloth was produced (other Dutch cities followed the success of Leiden), the quality, and sometimes the year or date. It was also in Leiden where I found this lakenlood: Lead 'lakenlood' ('cloth lead'), one side showing a decorated shield with the text "DOUBLE STAEL GEBLAUT". Near the "L" of "STAEL", there is a small numeric 10. The other side blank. Diameter: 60 mm, weight: 58.74g. Registration in the Dutch PAN system pending. Found in 2014, in Leiden, near the banks of the river 'de Mare'. On the reverse, you can actually see the imprint of the texture in the lead: Interestingly, when I visited the Museum back in 2015/16, I found the actual stamp that had been used to make this cloth lead. It has been photographed recently: As for the text, I'm still unsure what "DOUBEL STAEL GEBLAUT" means. It has also been used on leads from other cities, and probably has to do with the quality of the textile. Perhaps someone here knows enough about the cloth industry to make an educated guess. Meanwhile, even though I've moved away from Leiden (though not very far away), I'm very happy with this 'Leideny' piece of history!

Very nice! I would like a Viking or Anglo-Saxon artifact, but am wary about the many fakes that are around (as @DonnaMLpointed out). I do have one artifact that is somewhat relevant I think, even though it's not Viking. It's a pseud-coin fibula, likely from a local craftsman from the coastal region of the North Sea in the Netherlands. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: Pewter Pseudo-coin fibula (Pseudo-coin fibula), minted: Frisian / Carolingian; 9th-10th century Obv: EVO[??]DVS, bust to right Rev: Incuse of obverse Weight: 10.53g; Ø:34 mm. Catalogue: NA. Provenance: From Hollandia Numismatics, who bought it from finder. ; acq.: 07-2022 Find location: Zeeland, the Netherlands Published: Numis: 1167868 Derived from a Carolingian Solidus of the MVNVS DIVINVM type, placing the dating to the 9th or 10th century. The artifact was discussed in depth, and compared with mould-identical examples here:

Where is the ‘o’?

Thank you @Di Nomos! My wife just pointed out (so she does read my posts) that I forgot to include a #5 🙂

Having just purchased my 100th sceatta, 2023 has been a productive year for my collection. A total of 44 new coins have been added, and though I wasn't able to keep the net balance at zero (I challenge myself keeping a neutral balance. I believe this keeps the collection healthy by selling coins that are not in the scope.) my entire collection has now cost me the grand sum of €875 in total. I now have 100 sceattas, 4 tremisses/thrymsas, 2 Saxon pennies, a Merovingian denier, and a Carolingian denier - thus a total of 108 coins. Another four sceattas are currently between the UK and the Netherlands, one of which will probably be featured in my top 2024. Sceattas are traditionally stylistically and chronologically categorized in series (Series A, B, C, D, E, etc.), which are subdivided in BMC types (Series D BMC 2c, 8, 10, etc). The relatively recent publication of Sceatta List by Tony Abramson expands on this, identifying > 500 different sceatta types stylistically categorized in Sceatta List numbers (SL). I'm constant on the lookout for new varieties, and this (hopefully) is reflected in this top 10: I've decided to present my coins a bit different than in the previous year. There are no 10 coins: instead, I'll present the most interesting additions in the context of the series (outlined in most cases with yellow squares around the coins). #10 - the VERNVS group. VERNVS sceattas are considered early primary phase. I have added three of these in 2023 (highlighted by the yellow box). They have resemblance to Series A. I posted a detailed thread on this coin type here. In short, there are two theories regarding the progression of the obverse. Blackburn suggests an increase in abstraction, i.e. a clear bust progressing into a more abstract one, whereas Metcalf and Op den Velde propose an exact opposite. Intuitively, I'm inclined to agree with the theory by Blackburn, and have posted my five VERNVS varieties using his chronology (which, incidentally, is also the exact chronology of acquisition). Coin 1 (upper left): Magna Frisia (695-710, Frisia) Weight: 1.20g; Ø:11 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 6-10; die-matched obv die chain 3463-5 JMP 2009/2010. acq.: 12-2020 Ex. iNumis 05-03-2019; acquired 14-12-2020. Discussed here in more detail. Coin 2 (upper right): Magna Frisia (695-710, Frisia) Weight: 1.1g; Ø:11.1 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 6-10; die-matched to obv die chain 3463-5 JMP 2009/2010. acq.: 05-2021 Bought from Johan Wiersma. Found near Barham, Mid Suffolk, UK on 01-03-2011 PAS SF-D712D2 Discussed in more detail here. Coin 3 (middle left): Magna Frisia (695-710, Frisia) Weight: 0.93g; Ø:10.2 mm. Catalogue: Not in JMP 2009/10. acq.: 01-2023 Elsen auction 153, lot 798 Coin 4 (middle right): Magna Frisia (695-710, Frisia) Weight: 1.11g; Ø:11.4 mm. Catalogue: Not in JMP 2009/10. acq.: 01-2023 Ex. Noonans 28-09-2022 lot 1638. Bought from ebay seller Fortuna Numismatics, ID: 314240755272 Coin 5 (lower left): Magna Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 10.2g; Ø:1.1 mm. Catalogue: Not in JMP 2009/10. acq.: 03-2023 Ex. Noonans auction 13-07-2022, lot 57, Ex. Victor Parson 03-2023 #9 A splendid Herstal sceatta. In June, I was very successful in a regional auction where a small collection of high-grade sceattas had been consigned. It received little attention of the international public, probably because it appeared relatively late on Numisbids. I discussed the Herstal type back in 2020 at Cointalk (a different coin, but the same type). See here. In short, the Herstal is a bit of an 'orphan sceatta' (and listed as such in the Abramson Sceatta List). It's substantially larger than the average sceatta - 13-14 mm vs. 10-11 mm. It copies the hexagon design of a Merovingian denier from Reims. Yet, a large proportion of the Franeker hoard, found in the 19th century near this Frisian city, consisted of this type confirming that this type circulated in the Frisian region in the early secondary phase. This Herstal sceatta is in superb condition with a nice patina, showing little to no wear. Interestingly, it sold for less than in Kunker 2005. I'm sure it must have an older provenance. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Hexagon or 'Herstal' type), minted: Frisia Magna or Austrasia; 715-750 Obv: Cross within Star of David-like design; pellets around Rev: Central cross with radiating lines around and cross above Weight: 1.31g; Ø:13.2 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 109.10; Metcalf p. 256–8; SCBI –; EMC 2001.1261; North –; SCBC 796.. Provenance: • Ex. Künker auction 105, lot 1975 (27-09-2005) • Ex. Henzen List 173/951 • Ex. AA muntenveiling auction 62 (17-06-2023); acq.: 06-2023 #8 A series B with a certain archaic style Series B is not my favorite series. The coins look very much alike: a diademed bust on the obverse, and a bird on a cross on the reverse. The series is attributed to Kent, and the little variety of the design suggests some form of standardization which is unusual for sceattas. This specific coin is different: it does show the typical diademed bust, but there is a cross (which is not unusual), and a pelleted circle which might resemble the sun. It was found in France, and I know of only two others with a similar design: both sold by CNG, one of those a doubble die match to mine. I really like this coin - it's really crowded and in my opinion may may be the prototype for the series. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series BIb, type 27b), minted: Mint in Essex or East Anglia; c 685-700 Obv: Diademed head to right, cross before, pelleted jewel before Rev: Bird on cross to right, surrounded with annulets and dots, within dotted ouroboros (serpent eating its own tail). Weight: 1.09g; Ø:12 mm. Catalogue: Not in Sceatta list. Provenance: Bought from Finder (Raphael Seillier); acq.: 10-2023 Published: To be published in Sceatta List IV #7 a superb example of series Bz Staying close to series B. It's a type I haven't research much. It was on my wish list however, because of the Christ like figure (?) on the reverse, showing resemblance to Edvard Munch's The Scream. It's a well centered example with good toning, and it was part of the same collection as #9 (of which I could track down the provenance to 2005) - this coin probably has an older provenance as well. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series Bz, type 29b), minted: Essex or East Anglia; 700-710 Obv: •VV++•++ΛI, rudimentary facing head of Christ Rev: Bird standing right upon cross; unclear legend around. Weight: 1.2g; Ø:10.9 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 17-10. Provenance: Ex. Elsen liste 239 lot 366 Ex. AA muntenveiling auction 62 (17-06-2023); acq.: 06-2023 #6 an expansion to my plumed bird flock. Plumed bird sceattas - a subgroup of the primary phase (695-715) continental Series E are probably my favorite varieties. I added two plumed birds - upper row right, second row left. A third one is currently traveling from the UK to the Netherlands – perhaps in the opposite direction it traveled 1400 years ago. Coin 1 (upper left): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, variety K. Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 1.25g; Ø:11.6 mm. Catalogue: No die match in JMP 2010. acq.: 04-2021 Ex. Hollandia Numismatics Coin 2 (upper right): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, uncertain variety. Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 1.12g; Ø:12.3 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 87-30. acq.: 10-2023 Coin 3 (second row, left): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, variety J. Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 1.2g; Ø:11.9 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 87-30. acq.: 10-2023 Via Ebay (freedomsearchers14, ID 335042886566) Coin 4 (second row, right): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, variety J. Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 0.68g; Ø:12 mm. Catalogue: JMP 2009/2010, die chain 8-10. acq.: 11-2019 Bought from J.T.M. van Bergen Coin 5 (third row, left): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, variety L. "Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 1.17g; Ø:12.1 mm. Catalogue: SL 87-10 No die match in JMP 2009/2010 . acq.: 04-2021 Ex. 51 Gallery (auction 30-05-2014) lot 176 [Hammer 250] Ex iNumis (auction 42, lot 190, 05.06.2018)" Coin 6 (third row, right): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, variety L. "Frisia (695-715/720) Weight: 1g; Ø:12 mm. Catalogue: SL 87-10 No die match JMP 2009/2010. acq.: 11-2019 Bought from J. Wiersma, who bought it from the finder in 2018" Coin 7 (fourth row, left): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, uncertain variety (mule). Frisia (Uncertain date) Weight: 0.86g; Ø:13 mm. Catalogue: Unique, unreported variety. acq.: 12-2020 Bought from H. de Jong Coin 8 (fourth row, right): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, uncertain variety (mule). Frisia magna (690-750 AD) Weight: 0.32g; Ø:9.3 mm. Catalogue: Not in JMP 2009/2010. acq.: 10-2022 Bought from Le Numis d'or, Ebay (ID 185594493974) Coin 9 (fifth row, left): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, uncertain variety (mule, rev. sub-variety E). Frisia (Uncertain date) Weight: 0.63g; Ø:11 mm. Catalogue: Die match to JMP 2009/2010 corpus 164. acq.: 12-2020 Bought from H. Eeuwe Coin 10 (fifth row, right): Series E, primary phase, plumed bird type, uncertain variety. Frisia Magna (690-715 AD) Weight: 1.02g; Ø:10.9 mm. Catalogue: . acq.: 10-2022 Bought on Ebay from Yamushi, Ebay nr: 195378840092 #4 A large variety of ‘porcupines’ Series E is super diverse. In 2009 and 2010, Metcalf and Op den Velde published their attempt to organize the series, dividing the series in a primary, secondary and tertiary phase based on hoard evidence and style. Coins from the secondary phase are especially difficult to put in a group. This probably reflects how these coins were minted back in the 700s: there was little standardization, and it is assumed that that merchants coined their silver at local silversmiths. I have added 15 coins from series E (not including the plumed birds above, which are also part of this series). AR Sceatta (Series E, primary phase, variety D), minted: Frisia; 695-715/720 Obv: Quilled crescent or 'porcupine' with small V (both ends attached to spine); spine ending in annulet. Two dots below spine; part of cross-pommee below Rev: Central annulet flanked with four pellets, within (small) dotted square, garbled legend outside Weight: 11.9g; Ø:1.13 mm. Catalogue: Obverse and reverse die match to JMP 2009/2010 675-676 (found in Coddenham, and Aston Rowant respectively). Provenance: Ex. Noonans auction 13-07-2022, lot 56 Ex. Victor Parson 03-2023; acq.: 03-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, primary phase, variety G3), minted: Frisia; 680-715 AD Obv: Quilled crescent curved right, part of large Z below Rev: Square standard of line with dots, inside pellet within annulet, horizontal line above and below ending in dots on each side. Weight: 1.23g; Ø:11.6 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 89-30. Provenance: Ex. Elsen auction 156, lot 774; acq.: 09-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, primary phase, variety G3), minted: Frisia; 680-715 AD Obv: Quilled crescent to the right, large letters ZA below Rev: Square standard of line with dots, inside pellet within annulet, horizontal line above and below ending in dots on each side. Weight: 1g; Ø:12.1 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 89-30. acq.: 07-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, primary phase, variety G3 ), minted: Frisia; 695-715/720 Obv: Quilled crescent or 'porcupine' with sharp V (only proximal end attached to spine); distal part of spine ending with in two pellets. Parts of letters Z and O below, largely off-flan. Rev: Beaded standard with central pellet-within annulet, flanked by pellets and horizontal lines, all within dotted square border. Pellets and cross-pommee outside Weight: 1.16g; Ø:11.6 mm. Catalogue: . Provenance: Ex. Lockdales auction 135, 14/05/2016, lot 1359 Ex. Hanson auction 26/08/2021, lot 370 Ex. Victor Parson 03-2023; acq.: 03-2023 Find location: Unknown Published: No AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety b), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent or 'porcupine' with five vertical lines below spine Rev: TToII within standard Weight: 0.88g; Ø:12.7 mm. Catalogue: acq.: 10-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety D), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent or 'porcupine' with three vertical lines below spine (one attached to distal end) Rev: TToII within standard Weight: 0.89g; Ø:13.1 mm. acq.: 10-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent to the right, four lines below, horizontal line below Rev: central annulet flanked by abstract figures (horizontally minored) Weight: 0.65g; Ø:10.8 mm. acq.: 07-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety i), minted: Frisia; c. 710-750 AD Obv: Quilled crescent or 'porcupine' to the right, four lines below, one dot, triangle and annulet below Rev: Central annulet, within square, within square, outside three dots on each side, within circle Weight: 1.09g; Ø:12.1 mm. Catalogue: Not in JMP 2010. Provenance: Ex Schulman fixed price sale; acq.: 12-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k (left faced variety)), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent to the left, triangle beak, zig-zag line below Rev: TToII reverse with tufa Weight: 0.51g; Ø:10.6 mm. Catalogue: Obv. and rev. die match to JMP 2009/2010 die chain 2692-2694; acq.: 07-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k (left faced variety)), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent to the left, cross-pommee below, large H and pellets Rev: Central pellet-within-annulet, four dots around, all within (small) dotted circle, cross outside. Weight: 0.6g; Ø:10.5 mm. Catalogue: Not in JMP 2009/2010; acq.: 10-2023 Reverse similar to primary phase var. D. Crude style of the obverse suggests an imitation. Minor deposits on obverse. AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent to the right, four lines below Rev: Elaborate standard, central pellet-within-annulet, flanked by lines in swatsika-pattern, within dotted border, four pellet-within-annulets outside Weight: 0.96g; Ø:11.3 mm. Catalogue: No die match in JMP 2009/2010. acq.: 07-2023 Published: To be included in SL IV AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent to the right, triangle beak (not attached to spine), pellet inside, anulet below, large barred I Rev: Central annulet, flanked by a square dotted border, within square, tufa outside Weight: 0.91g; Ø:11.8 mm. Catalogue: Similar, but not identical, to JMP 2009/2010 die-chain 2319-20. acq.: 07-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent above pellet-outlined dolphin shape with central band, bars below. Rev: Central annulet, four diagonal bars, pellets between, within dotted square Weight: 0.97g; Ø:11.9 mm. Catalogue: SL 100-20. No die match in JMP 2009/2010. Reverse similar to 2614-20. acq.: 10-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, secondary phase, sub-variety k), minted: Frisia; 715-755 Obv: Quilled crescent or 'porcupine' with three vertical lines below spine (one attached to distal end) Rev: Saltire cross with large central annulet, within square dotted border, flanked by pellets. Weight: 0.96g; Ø:11.4 mm. Catalogue: Obverse and reverse die-match to JMP 2009/2010 2631-2632,( Domburg and De Meern). Provenance: Ex. Victor Parsons 03-2023; acq.: 03-2023 AR Sceatta (Series E, stepped cross var), minted: Frisia; 690-715 AD Obv: Porcupine' head to the right, spikes ending in dot. Beak connected to spine, but not at distal end. Dot within beak. Annulet under spine; several dots around. Rev: Stepped cross with pellet-in-annulet at center and pellets around between arms of the cross Weight: 0.82g; Ø:11.3 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 91-10. acq.: 10-2023 #4 WIGRAED, or three WIGRAEDs. Wigraed sceattas – named after the Runic name of (probably) the moneyer on the obverse – are part of series R, specifically R10. They mark the end of the sceatta age, apparent for this reason (apart from the similar TILBERT R11 sceattas, no other sceatta bears the name of a moneyer), and because of the poor alloy containing almost no silver at all. I have discussed the Wigraed in detail here, and confirmed the East England mint, probably in Suffolk. The sceatta above was one of my first sceattas, the other two were bought this year. Coin 1: EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series R10 (Wigraed)), minted: East Anglia, uncertain mint; c. 710-750 AD Obv: Radiate bust of crude style right, annulet either side of head, runic ""WIGR"", before, ΛO and pellets behind, wearing collared drapery Rev: Beaded degenerate standard containing symmetrical geometric symbols, central annulet, cross pommée to each side, diagonals at outer corners Weight: 0.72g; Ø:11 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 11.150 Chris Timms obverse group 1, subgroun 2. Reverse group 2. . Provenance: Coin fair Houten; bought from E. Datema; acq.: 09-2020 Coin 2: EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series R10 (Wigraed)), minted: East Anglia, uncertain mint; c. 710-750 AD Obv: Radiate bust of crude style right, annulet either side of head, runic ""WIGR"", before, ΛO and pellets behind, wearing collared drapery Rev: Beaded degenerate standard Weight: 0.71g; Ø:12.1 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 11.150 Chris Timms Obv. group 3, subgroup 1. Reverse group 1. Provenance: Found by Charles Brown Ex. Victor Parsons 05-2023; acq.: 05-2023 Find location: Found near Kings Lynn, Norfolk Published: EMC 2023.0530 Coin 3: EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series R10 (Wigraed)), minted: East Anglia, uncertain mint; c. 710-750 AD Obv: Radiate bust of crude style right, annulet either side of head, runic ""WIGR"", before, ΛO and pellets behind, wearing collared drapery Rev: Beaded degenerate standard Weight: 0.67g; Ø:11.9 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 11.150 Chris Timms Obv. group 3, subgroup 1. Reverse group 1. Provenance: Found by Charles Brown, sold to David Jenner, and bought from him. ; acq.: 11-2023 Find location: Downham Market, Norfolk Published: EMC 2023.0503. #3 the transition from thrymsa to sceatta. The PADA thrymsa is a transitional type from the early primary phase, when the gold thrymsas were minted with increasingly lower gold and higher silver contents. The coins aren’t particularly rare, but they are sought after especially those in gold. I missed a spectacular PADA one in October, which sold for way too low on Facebook, so when a corroded and uncleaned example was offered cheaply I bought it as placeholder. I gave it a clean, and am happy with the results: the runes on the reverse are clearly legible and the bust is very typical for the issue. AV Thrysma (PADA, PaIII, type 97), minted: Kent; c.665/70-670/5 Obv: Diademed bust right, jewel before, row of pellets behind head, square drapery, legend NV/vNI [?] surrounding Rev: Plain central cross, annulets in quarters, within beaded circle, part Runic legend reads PADA in runes Weight: 0.84g; Ø:11 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 1-50. acq.: 10-2023 #2 two extremely rare series J types. Series J is attributed to East Anglia. The series has some similarities with series B, especially types 85 (see below). There are two subtypes that are extremely rare: a reverse variety of type 36 (two examples known, of which I now own one), and type 60 (three examples known, idem). I also bought an upgrade to my type 37 – a subtype that usually is poorly minted and very often plated or debased. In the photo below, all my series J sceattas are grouped: first, the normal type 36 showing a diademed bust on the obverse, holding a cross. The reverse shows a bird – possibly a peace dove given the Christian symbolic, again flanked by a cross. A small bird is depicted above. The type 36 variety shows a similar obverse, but now, the bird is bitten by a snail. This variety is extremely rare, with the only other example in the Tony Abramson collection (a double die match). The two rows below shows the common type 37: two facing busts on the obverse, and a group of birds flying right. These three coins all have their issues: weak spots (coin 1), corrosion (coin 2), and an off-center one in good silver (coin 3). Together, they represent type 37: common to find, but difficult to get in good condition. I’m still looking for a decent example. On the third row, I have included another rarity (only three examples known): type 60. The bust is very similar to type 85 (row 4 and 5) and series B, but the reverse is unique with two snakes / serpents coiled around each other, their heads facing. The coin is excessively rare, and though it has its issues, I’m happy to have included it! The row below shows a coin similar to type 37: two facing busts on the obverse, and an abstracted bird fighting a snake or serpent with its mouth wide open. The tail of this serpent forms the dotted circle around the bird. It’s a relatively scarce type. Finally, marking the end of the series, two coins of type 85. Note the similarity between series B, especially on the second coin. Coin 1 (upper left): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 36), minted: Anglia; 710-760 Obv: Crude diademed bust right, prominent lips, pelleted wreath ties behind, serpent before coiled in figure-of-eight. Rev: Two birds, possibly eagles, right, one in foreground with splayed feet and three tail feathers. Coiled serpent before Weight: 0.57g; Ø:11.5 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 20-10 (N). acq.: 10-2023 Coin 2 (upper right): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 36 (var)), minted: Anglia; 710-760 Obv: Crude diademed bust right, prominent lips, pelleted wreath ties behind, serpent before coiled in figure-of-eight. Rev: Two birds, possibly eagles, right, one in foreground with splayed feet and three tail feathers. Coiled serpent before Weight: 0.92g; Ø:12.1 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 20-40 (PU). acq.: 10-2023 Coin 3 (second row left): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 37), minted: Mint in Northumbria; 710-725 AD Obv: Two confronted diademed heads; between, long cross with trident end; double border Rev: Cross, at each end a bird right; double border. Weight: 0.84g; Ø:11 mm. Catalogue: SL 19-30. Provenance: Ex Heritage Auctions Europe, 20-11-2020, lot 11369; acq.: 11-2020 Coin 4 (second row right): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 37), minted: Mint in Northumbria; 710-725 AD Obv: Two confronted diademed heads; between, long cross with trident end; double border Rev: Cross, at each end a bird right; double border. Weight: 0.93g; Ø:12.2 mm. Catalogue: SL 19-30. acq.: 07-2023 Coin 5 (third row left): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 37), minted: Mint in Northumbria; 710-725 AD Obv: Two confronted diademed heads; between, long cross with trident end; double border Rev: Cross, at each end a bird right; double border. Weight: 0.89g; Ø:12.1 mm. Catalogue: SL 19-30. acq.: 10-2023 Coin 6 (third row right): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 60), minted: Anglia; 710-760 Obv: Crude diademed head right, crescent ear, pellet lips protruding or receding, braided hair. Rev: Crude diademed head right, crescent ear, pellet lips protruding or receding, braided hair. Weight: 0.62g; Ø:11.9 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 18-10 (ER). acq.: 10-2023 Coin 7 (fourth row left): AR Sceatta (Series J, type 72), minted: Northumbria (probably York); 710-725 Obv: Two crude diademed busts facing one another; cruciform trident between Rev: Fantastic bird (eagle?) right, looking left, encircled by gaping, serpent-headed, worm with open mouth and beaded body Weight: 0.85g; Ø:13.0x10.8 mm. Catalogue: SL 19-10. Coin 8 (fourth row right) AR Sceatta (Series J, type 85), minted: Anglo-Saxon; 710-725, York Obv: Diademed head right, double strand pearl diadem Rev: A bird on a cross, pellets in field in front of bird and below horizontal bar on the cross; annulets at the ends of the horizontal arms, beaded inner circle Weight: 0.98g; Ø:10.8 mm. Catalogue: SL 18-20 (c). Provenance: Ex iNumis (shop, 27-04-2021) Ex iNumis (Auction 42, lot 191, 05.06.2018) Ex Gallery 51 (May auction, lot 185, 30.05.2014),; acq.: 04-2021 Coin 9 (lowest) AR Sceatta (Series J, type 85), minted: Anglo-Saxon; 710-725, York Obv: Diademed head right, double strand pearl diadem Rev: A bird on a cross, pellets in field in front of bird and below horizontal bar on the cross; annulets at the ends of the horizontal arms, beaded inner circle Weight: 0.88g; Ø:11.6 mm. Catalogue: SL 18-20 (c). acq.: 07-2022 #1 Madelinus of Dorestad. I bought my third Frisian tremissis in 2023 – an iconic and much sought after tremissis of Madelinus. I have posted a detailed write-up of this Merovingian moneyer here. In short, Madelinus first minted his coins in the Merovingian city Maastricht (the very historic capital of the Dutch province Limburg), and then moved to Dorestatvs: Dorestad or Wijk bij Duurstede a thriving trade city on the border of the Merovingian and Frisian empire. Madelinus’ coins were widely imitated, so called ‘pseudo-madelinus’ as is this coin. EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AV Tremissis (Pseudo-MADELINUS (Frisian immitative) type), minted: Frisia; 630-650 AD Obv: Degraded diademed bust right, with pointy nose and pellet lips. ∇°REഗTɅT FIT (DORESTAT FIT; Delta D, upper-case o, sideway rotated S, unbarred A). Three pellets between R and E Rev: MɅ∇ELINVS M (MADELINVS M; unbarred A, delta D), cross on single step, six equidistant pellets below. Weight: 1.26g; Ø:15 mm. Catalogue: . Provenance: Ex. Elsen auction 130 (10-09-2016), lot nr. 291 (unsold) Ex. Hollandia Numismatics 05-2023 Find location: Unknown Published: Included in Arent Pol's (unpublished) study on Madelinus tremisses. The gold content of this coin was measured for Arent Pol's (unpublished) study on Madelinus tremisses, using specific gravity (gold content of 44%, assuming pure silver/gold alloy) and XRF (Bruker method, 69-70% gold content). Small abrasion on the obverse (at the cheek), apart from that, a superb example.