IV.IV Offa and the coinage of the Kentish kings.
A Research Paper.
In AD 764 king ◊ffa of Mercia became Overlord of Kent, having deposed the provincial king Sigered of West Kent, and the reigning monarch king Eanmund of Kent. Later the same year ◊ffa was at Canterbury with archbishop Bregowine and king Heaberht of Kent, a local noble he had raised to kingship. Whilst there he made a re-grant of an estate to Eardvulf, bishop of Rochester, previously granted and confirmed by the lately deposed Kentish monarchs.
More importantly whilst at Canterbury ◊ffa granted king Heaberht the right to issue the new broad-flan silver pennies in his own name. These had been minted under ◊ffa in London since the recent coinage reforms of AD 760, or earlier, which replaced the smaller, thicker sceat coinage with the broader, thinner continental-style denarius.
The Canterbury moneyer Eoba was the first to be awarded the right to coin the pennies of king Heaberht, and by extension those of king ◊ffa also. Eoba initially employed the same reverse motif on the coins of both kings, the design of four pelleted annulets joined to form a cross, with annulet centre containg a pellet or cross of/and pellets. The positive/negative image contained the moneyers name in the angles of the cross. This motif probably represented the wounds of Christ, and was used extensively on the pre-reform coinage.
Heaberht was a dependant king. He issued charters that were confirmed by ◊ffa and had little authority of his own to make major descisions. His adoption of the new coinage and the rights of the moneyers to produce it would certainly have been proclaimed by royal charter. Attached to this would have been the polished Latin confirmation of king ◊ffa and the Mercian dignitaries. Unfortunately no English charters referring to the coinage have survived from ◊ffa's era. The single extant coin of king Heaberht of Kent was astutely purchased in Rome by Christopher Blunt many years ago, and is now housed in the British museum.
In AD 765 king Heaberht died. Later the same year the provincial king Egcberht II was promoted by ◊ffa to the rule of Kent. He was afforded the same rights as Heaberht regarding the minting of pennies in his own name. His earliest coins were also produced at Canterbury by Eoba. The reverse motif is identical to those of his predecessor and Overlord. The obverses of all of Egcberht's coins, and that of Heaberht, employ the same monogram of Rex within a circle, having the name of the monarch around.
The moneyer Eoba enjoyed the patronage of king ◊ffa. His career was long and prosperous, coining many different designs for the Mercian king. He also coined for the Kentish kings and exclusively for ◊ffa's wife Cynðryth. To round off a distinguished working life approaching forty years duration he was employed by ◊ffa's successor Cœnwulf to coin the Tribrach Moline type at Canterbury. Eoba's name does not appear on any Group II coinage of Cœnwulf after AD 805, and he coins only the early three-line Tribrach Moline type, and not the slightly later double Tribrach type. These types were coined c. 796-805, and if we surmise that both types were coined for an equal period during that time, then we can place Eoba's death between c. 796 and c. 800. Probably nearer to 796 as few coins of the type are known in his name.
Another Canterbury moneyer with a highly distinguished career under ◊ffa was Babba. His coinage for ◊ffa was both prolific and varied. He also coined for Egcberht II and like his contempory Eoba, ended with Cœnvulf's three-line Tribrach Moline type, revealing the length of his working life to be similar to that of Eoba, at around 35-40 years. His early coins bear the designs of crosses in various forms, with the moneyers name in the angles. Those he coined for Offa bear striking similarities to the coins he struck for Egcberht II. It is probable that Babba also issued coinage for Heaberht of Kent, as his coins of the mid 760's are stylistically related to those of Eoba, betraying a close working relationship which may have begun under the earlier Kentish king.
The only other known moneyer linking the coinage of ◊ffa to that of the Kentish kings during his own lifetime is a man called Udd. His designs are again varied, if limited, under ◊ffa, with a single type minted for Egcberht II, the Floral Scroll type with the moneyers name across the field. Although this type was issued for a considerable length of time. A close scrutiny of the Floral Scroll issue reveals that the cross and scrollwork is actually a stylised Mercian omega symbol, with crossbar and pellets. The omega symbol is common to Mercian coinage of the period, and is present on at least one type of penny of each of the dependant and client kings issuing their coinage under Mercian authority. The closest parallel with the crossed omega is perhaps that on the coins of bishop Eadberht of London, with king ◊ffa, where it appears unmistakably, if stylistically different. Some authorities have identified the moneyer Udd with the London moneyer Dud, but following a comparison of styles I must agree with Ian Stewart in pronouncing that the coins are too dissimilar to be the work of the same man. Udd and Dud are separate moneyers working in different mints, indeed in different countries. Dud also works in a later period during the reign of ◊ffa.
A small number of other moneyers are thought to have coined for ◊ffa in the 760's. It is not impossible that one or more of these may have also worked for the Kentish kings.
I am of the steadfast opinion that one day a coin of king Heaberht of Kent bearing the Mercian omega symbol will be discovered.
When ◊ffa died in AD 796 he controlled the London mint in Mercia directly, the Canterbury mint in Kent directly, the East Anglian mint directly and the Wessex mint as Overlord. The only mint in England that he did not effectively control was the York mint in Northumbria, although his daughter was married to king Æthelred I. His own coinage was minted at various times at each of the first three mints mentioned. We do not know if other mints existed at this time but ◊ffa would certainly have controlled any mints within his territories.
The original die motif of Eoba, perhaps representing the wounds of Christ. Shown here on a coin of Offa of Mercia [EMC/SCBI database].
The stylised Mercian crossed omega symbol can be seen to good effect on this coin of Egcberht II of Kent [EMC/SCBI database].
Sources : Wikipedia website. Anglo-Saxon Charters website. Timeline of Anglo-Saxon England website. Christopher Blunt : Post war years and his contribution to Anglo-Saxon numismatics. Marion Archibald. EMC/SCBI database website. Books : Anglo-Saxon England. F.M. Stenton. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Anne Savage Ed. Iconography of early Anglo-Saxon Coinage. Anna Gannon. Catalogue Of English Coins in the British Museum : Anglo-Saxon, Volume One. Charles Keary. English Hammered Coinage, Volume One. J.J. North.
Please note coins shown are not from my cabinet [unfortunately !!].
- Posted by dragonbloodaxe on 03/05/2007.
- dragonbloodaxe's site
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