Early Anglo-Saxon Coins
I have to say, I really mostly liked this one for the pretty, pretty pictures :
(can be found here - http://crimsonbooksinc.storesecured.com/items/book-publishers/shire/medieval/early-anglo-saxon-coins-sprsar090-detail.htm )
Early Anglo - Saxon Coins - Gareth Williams
“The term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ is rather vague and is generally used to describe a broad period of over 650 years of English history…Simply describing the whole period as Anglo-Saxon suggests both political unity and that society remained much the same over the whole period, but this a very misleading impression.”
The tradition of coinage as a form of value in England can be traced to Roman rule and interaction with Germanic tribes. Because many locals and tribesmen were members of the Roman army people grew used to receiving pay in minted money. After Rome withdrew their coins slowly left circulation. As small kingdoms began to form, some from former Romano-British land such as Kent, and others from Saxons and Angles who had entered the country and settled, the custom of coining became an important part of forming a social identity.
During the sixth century there is a great deal of evidence of trading with continental Europe. The Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity and the way that the various southern kingdoms coinage began to imitate Frankish forms show an increase in contact between these peoples.
Williams clearly knows a good deal about these small kingdoms and their rulers, but his interest here is purely money as object, so a great deal of information is given, but far more seems to be held back.
Many of the coins of this time are quite beautiful and elaborately designed, and there is an incredible amount of information on their metallic content and purposes, as well as where they came from and where they ended up. While full of interesting facts (Most of the larger monasteries had Papal permission to mint their own money. Early Saxon coins were exclusively gold until the sixth century, after which time no gold coinage was created.), this ultimately is a book for either the most avid of coin collectors or the most dedicated students of the period and culture.
“The Viking conquests of the 860s and 870s brought an end to the era of Anglo-Saxon political and monetary history, but ushered in another. With the end of the separate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, the history of the early Anglo-Saxon coinage comes to an end.”
(can be found here - http://crimsonbooksinc.storesecured.com/items/book-publishers/shire/medieval/early-anglo-saxon-coins-sprsar090-detail.htm )
Early Anglo - Saxon Coins - Gareth Williams
“The term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ is rather vague and is generally used to describe a broad period of over 650 years of English history…Simply describing the whole period as Anglo-Saxon suggests both political unity and that society remained much the same over the whole period, but this a very misleading impression.”
The tradition of coinage as a form of value in England can be traced to Roman rule and interaction with Germanic tribes. Because many locals and tribesmen were members of the Roman army people grew used to receiving pay in minted money. After Rome withdrew their coins slowly left circulation. As small kingdoms began to form, some from former Romano-British land such as Kent, and others from Saxons and Angles who had entered the country and settled, the custom of coining became an important part of forming a social identity.
During the sixth century there is a great deal of evidence of trading with continental Europe. The Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity and the way that the various southern kingdoms coinage began to imitate Frankish forms show an increase in contact between these peoples.
Williams clearly knows a good deal about these small kingdoms and their rulers, but his interest here is purely money as object, so a great deal of information is given, but far more seems to be held back.
Many of the coins of this time are quite beautiful and elaborately designed, and there is an incredible amount of information on their metallic content and purposes, as well as where they came from and where they ended up. While full of interesting facts (Most of the larger monasteries had Papal permission to mint their own money. Early Saxon coins were exclusively gold until the sixth century, after which time no gold coinage was created.), this ultimately is a book for either the most avid of coin collectors or the most dedicated students of the period and culture.
“The Viking conquests of the 860s and 870s brought an end to the era of Anglo-Saxon political and monetary history, but ushered in another. With the end of the separate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, the history of the early Anglo-Saxon coinage comes to an end.”