Kings of East Anglia
758-870 AD
The monetary system employed by the Kings of East Anglia at first was based upon the silver sceat However, we also find that this area underwent a shift to the silver penny in the post 765 AD era. The silver penny was first introduced to Europe as the silver “denier” in France by Pepin in 755 AD (house ofCharlemagne). We find that this new restoration of the old Roman denarius quickly spread throughout Europe and England was no exception. The English translation for “denier” was “penny” and this new silver coin was most likely first issued in England by Offa, King of Mercia (757-796). Within a few years, silver pennies were being struck by the Kings of Kent, the Archbishops of Canterbury and eventually by the Kings of East Anglia. This new denomination would become the cornerstone of the English monetary system for the next 500 years and remain as the base unit of account even into modern times. The silver half-pence appears around 871 AD in southern England.
Kings of East Anglia
AR Sceat
AR Penny
AR Penny
AR Penny
AR Penny
AR Penny
NOTE: For Danish issues in East Anglia see Vikings
Monetary History of the World
© Martin A. Armstrong
