Northumbria’s coins

The next meeting of the Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society takes place on Monday night with Tony Abramson, who will give a talk entitled, Where There’s Muck There’s Brass: The Remarkable Coinage of Northumbria c640867.

Tony studied early AngloSaxon coinage since the early 1990s. He has written a number of books on the topic, the most recent of which reclassified the silver proto-pennies or ‘sceats’ issued from the 670s to the 750s south of the Humber and well in to the ninth-century in kingdom of Northumbria.

There are more than 630 varieties of these tiny coins, rich in the iconography of the Conversion Period. Tony initiated the biennial symposia in early medieval coinage and is editor of the resultant publications. Tony qualified as a chartered accountant after graduating in economics from the University of Lancaster in 1970. He spent the last 25 years of his career launching technology startup companies but has recently retired to take a PhD in numismatics at the department of archaeology, University of York.

This generously illustrated talk is directed at the nonspecialist and will show how, far from being a Dark Age, the early Anglo-Saxon period was economically vibrant with numerous English settlements engaged in both local and long- distance trade. This drew in all the territories surrounding the North Sea, who shared a common currency - 1,300 years before the Euro! Estimates of production show that more than a hundred million coins, ‘proto-pennies’, were produced between 685 and 750AD.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm and is £2 to non members. Refreshments available from 6.45pm.

Please note: the roundabout and roads near to the library will be closed at 7pm every night for the next two weeks for resurfacing work so there won’t be any parking available nearby.