Added a few sceattas, including two excessively rare types

[Roerbakmix]

I had a productive meeting with a coin seller last month, resulting in the purchase of a couple really interesting sceatta's, bringing the total of my collection to 96 sceattas, (+12)  and 4 tremisses/thrymsa's (+1). I'll post a selection below. 

#1 arguably the first sceatta, a transitional  type. There are different PADA types, with the earliest of high gold content, and the later ones of nearly pure silver (containing minimal gold). This one belongs to the later phase, so nearly pure silver:

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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. 

 

#2 A relative common English sceatta, series A, one of the earliest sceattas closely imitating the PADA type. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series A), minted: Probably Eastern England; 690-710 AD
Obv: Bust to right, TIIC before, straight exergual lines.
Rev: Standard with TToII inside, legend around
Weight: 1.11g; Ø:11.3 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 3-10 (based on flat exergual line obv). Find location: Unknown Published: No

 

#3 This series BIb has a different, 'busy' style compared to the other BIb types. The pelleted sun (?) before the bust is intriguing. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series BIb), minted: Mint in Essex or East Anglia; c 685-700
Obv: Diademed bust to right, cross before, pelleted jewel before
Rev: Bird on cross to right, surrounded with annulets and dots, within dotted 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
Find location: Near Etaples, France Published: No
 

#4 A crudely executed series D BMC type 2c (continental), struck with a broken obverse die. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series D, type 2c), minted: Frisia; 690-715 AD
Obv: Degenerated diademed head, runic inscriptings before
Rev: Central cross-pommee with dots on each corner; cross above, annulet below.
Weight: 1.14g; Ø:11.1 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 8-10. Provenance: Ex. Jim Squares, via Ebay (Seller Luckyjim8, ID 266404359387); acq.: 09-2023
Find location: Norfolk (UK) Published: no

#5 A plumed bird variety (series E, primary phase) of exceptional quality. This one closely resembles var J-K, but the order of the three pellets on the reverse (in a vertical line) is unusual; for var J these would be < and > , for K, this would be > and <. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: AR Sceatta (Series E, primary phase, plumed bird, uncertain variety), minted: Frisia; 695-715/720
Obv: Plumed bird to right, tail ending in three lines, long neck, cross-pommee below
Rev: Central pellet-within annulet, flanked by three pellets in straight vertical order, four horizontal bars around, all within dotted square border with crosses outside
Weight: 1.12g; Ø:12.3 mm. Catalogue: Abramson 87-30. 
 

#6 A series E, secondary phase sub-variety D, also in superb condition. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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. Catalogue: . 

#7 One of the many varieties of the secondary phase continental series E, sub-variety K. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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 2010.
 

#8 A very unusual left-facing series E (about 1% of the series E is left facing). This one is very crudely carved. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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 2010.
Reverse similar to primary phase var. D. Crude style of the obverse suggests an immitation. Minor deposits on obverse.

#10 A common series J, type 37. This is my 5th or 6th series J, but I'm finally content with the quality of this specimen. Series J type 37 is usually of very poor silver, or even plated. This one is OK. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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. 
 

#11 A relatively scarce series J type 72, combining the same obverse with a different reverse. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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.  
Metcal p. 355: "Type 72 is known from a dozen specimens, with few if any die-links. They include four finds from Domburg, two in the Brussels cabinet, one in Paris, one from Richborough, one from the Swindon area, and one from Lakenheath, Suffolk. No finds have been recorded from the midlands or the north of England. The four finds from Domburg should be compared with seven of Type 37. The question obviously arises whether Type 72 has anything to do with York, or whether it is not merely a Low Countries imitative type which borrows the obverse of Type 37. The artistic quality of the dies is certainly not impressive in comparison with the rest of Series J."

 

#12 An extremely rare series J type 36 variety, this is actually the second known (the other one was part of the Tony Abramson collection. This coin is an obverse and reverse die match to that one, underlining the rarity). Metcalf wasn't aware of this variety. The iconography of the reverse is of interest: we see a bird, which is grabbed or bitten by a serpent. Abramson has a theory that this coin was part of three reverse types, showing (1) the snake beneath the bird, (2) this coin, the snake biting the bird, and (3) the bird throwing the snake away. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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).
 

#13 the common variety is this one:

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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). 
 

#14 the final, also extremely rare one (this is the fourth known, with two exemplars discussed by Metcalf, and the third one sold in a recent Elsen auction (2021). All three coins are unprovenanced, but my coin was found in France. Elsen is a Belgian auction house, suggesting that the 2021 coin might have been a continental find as well. 

EARLY MEDIEVAL, Anonymous. Denomination: 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). 
Metcalf, p. 354: "Type 60 seems to be known from only two specimens. It is accordingly difficult to think of it as a substantive type. On the other hand its originality of design and its artistic talent are hardly what one would have expected from an opportunist counterfeiter: why produce a novel design, on which suspicion is bound to fall? Perhaps it was an abortive official issue - a new type that was launched to replace Type 85, but which failed for lack of demand for the moneyers’ services. Alternatively, could it have been an experimental reverse design preceding Type 85, that was quickly replaced by the bird on cross? That, at least, sounds unlikely, both because Type 85 was based on Series B, and because the inspiration for Type 60 would seem to have been the wolf-headed torc of Series K, Type 32a (which was present alongside Types 85 and 37 in the Garton-on-the- Wolds find).
The two specimens of Type 60 are from very similar but different dies. SCBI Hunterian 100 weighs 0.74g, and BM, Barnett 259 weighs 0.97g. Neither is provenanced. The obverse is exactly as Type 85. The lips-to-nose angle is appropriate, and the style is very acceptable. But as Type 85 includes such deceptive imitations, one ought to look into any die-similarities with Type 85 as carefully as possible. Rigold comments that both obverses are similar to his BIIIc, 2. There are even closer comparanda, e.g. two coins in Leeuwarden and Brussels discussed above, which seem to be by the same hand. One should reserve judgement, and perhaps hope that a die-link between Types 60 and 85 will turn up. Provisionally, its status seems doubtful, in spite of the quality of its workmanship. The reverse of Type 60 is imitated on a double-reverse ‘mule’, TMP 1895, pl.2, 26. "
Personal note: a third specimen surfaced at Elsen auction 149, lot 523.

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Roerbakmix

[Prieure de Sion]

2 hours ago, Roerbakmix said:

I had a productive meeting with a coin seller last month, resulting in the purchase of a couple really interesting sceatta's, bringing the total of my collection to 96 sceattas, (+12)  and 4 tremisses/thrymsa's (+1). I'll post a selection below. 

My prio are ancient Roman coins and I am not a expert of that - but what I can say - fantastic coins! 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I know almost nothing about them, but neat!  Very nice!

[JeandAcre]

I can cheerfully second @Prieure de Sion and @Nerosmyfavorite68 on all counts.  Whenever you see this kind of convergence of expertise and magnificent coins, it's time to sit up in your chair.  Hearty congratulations, @Roerbakmix.

[Hrefn]

I think your #14 reverse is two coiled serpents, not a bust, @Roerbakmix.

[Roerbakmix]

24 minutes ago, Hrefn said:

I think your #14 reverse is two coiled serpents, not a bust, @Roerbakmix.

Thanks, this was a copy error I guess, will change it in my files!

[JeandAcre]

The coiled serpents funly evoke the mythical jörmungandr, or 'world serpent,' circling the globe under the oceans.  Here's the English Wiki article, much better than one can afford to expect.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jörmungandr   

While the extant literary sources for this are all Scandinavian, no earlier than the 11th century, it's easy to suppose that its origin is both earlier, and more broadly dispersed in Germanic mythology.  

Back to 11th-century Scandinavia, here's my penning of Lund (now on the SW coast of Sweden, but part of Viking Age Denmark), of Harthacnut, king of Denmark 1035-1042 (and England from 1040).  The legends on this example are hopelessly blundered, but the jörmungandr on the obverse is prominently sharing real estate with the reverse cross.

[John Conduitt]

Such great coins. I have a few of the common varieties but the rare ones are very interesting. I love the J type 36 var especially.

Edited December 13, 2023 by John Conduitt

[Grimulfr]

Some of those Type J sceats are wonderful and the plumed bird Type E is very well stuck.  The toning of these coins make it appear as if they have been in a collector's cabinet for a long time, not freshly dug from the ground. A continental collection?  Congratulations Roerbakmix!

[Gordon Grant]

Amazing,a brilliant coin👍

[Vel Saties]

An incredibly fascinating and complex coinage. Congratulations on the wonderful coins in your collection