Coinage in 7th-Century England

Onsite at the Ashmolean and online via Zoom.

The first coins struck in Anglo-Saxon England were small gold issues, produced in the 7th century as the early kingdoms converted to Christianity.

These are rare objects but they have much to tell us about this period in time. The largest hoard of these coins, the Crondall Hoard, was discovered in 1828 and is on display in the Museum's Money Gallery. It remains our most important evidence for the start of English coinage, and includes 69 gold shillings struck in southern England.

Dr Naylor's talk will explore these important early coins and their use in two ways.

Firstly, he will consider the issue of coinage within the context of Christian conversion and kingship in England. Using the Crondall Hoard and other coins in the Ashmolean’s collection, he'll discuss topics including the imagery on coins, the influence of Roman and Byzantine coinage, and how coins were used to express identity.

Secondly, Dr Naylor will look at the archaeological evidence for the people who used gold coins in the sixth and seventh centuries through the evidence from burials, and with reference to some of the Ashmolean's finest Anglo-Saxon jewellery and artefacts.