Northumbria Eadberht & Archbishop Ecgberht AD 737-758 Silver Sceatta

Northumbria Eadberht & Archbishop Ecgberht AD 737-758 Silver Sceatta

Small Cross/ Mitred figure holding 2 crosses

S852; 1.04g, 13mm

Comes with find area provenance.

Archbishop Ecgberht – notable reformer of the English church and proponent of Bede’s teachings, as well as correspondent and personal friend of the Northumbrian scholar Alcuin. Ecgberht issued coins jointly with his brother King Eadberht, these uniquely depicting himself standing between two crosses or croziers. An excellent in-depth die and metallurgical study of these coins has been recently undertaken by Dr Ronald Bude, published in the British Numismatic Journal.

Eadberht (737-758) – another individual ruling during Northumbria’s ‘golden age’, Eadberht is notable for his reforms to the kingdom’s coinage – instituting a high-quality sceatta issue depicting the so-called ‘fantastic beast’ on its reverse. His coins are relatively common, this reflecting the high output during his reign that reflects a burgeoning economy. Energetically ruling for over two decades, he voluntarily abdicated in 758 and became a monk, dying peacefully in 768.

Kingdom of Northumbria

The end of the 7th Century sees the establishment of an advanced monetary system in Northumbria with Kings and Archbishops being named on silver sceats, also the introduction of a bronze coin called the Styca. The silver coins of this series vary in rarity and price, some kings who ruled for very short periods are extremely rare, other, more successful rulers produced far more coins.