Continental Sceatta Series E

I’ve already had a few Anglo-Saxon and Continental sceattas on the website and here’s another. This one was sent in by Steve Smith, who said it is one of only two he has found during his detecting career. This might not seem like many but it’s two more than many detectorists have managed to unearth.

Steve’s find is an example of Continental series E but it is one of the scarcer varieties. On the reverse is a standard and on the obverse a plumed bird facing right. Most of the sceattas of series E have on the obverse a degraded head, which is sometimes described as a porcupine. However, on Steve’s coin the ‘head’ has devolved into a creature recognisable as a bird. In the Standard Catalogue it is described and illustrated as number 791.

Valuation

The reverse is a bit off centre but is otherwise VF; the obverse is centrally struck and is also in VF condition. Pricewise, to a keen collector of silver sceattas this specimen shouldn’t be worth any less than £120.

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