THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

UNITED KINGDOM
those of the former epoch, yet still far from expert, to
copy Roman and other types. The sceattce are usually
round, but also of irregular forms, and frequently im-
perfect in the rendering of the impression from the die.
Thev occur, like their predecessors, inscribed and un-
inscribed ; and there is no further clue to their origin
than the sites on which they have been brought to
light. Kent is the county in which many of them
have been found, and Canterbury was probably a lead-
ing centre of production, as it was the presumed source
of the unique gold trims reading Dorovernis, men-
tioned by numismatic writers. Parallel with them in
the north were the singular billon stycas of the kingdom
of Northumbria, a series which stands by itself,
and comprises many rare names of princes and varieties
of mintage ; it dates from the seventh century to the
ninth (670-867), when the secular rulers of this part
of Britain adopted the silver coinage, long elsewhere
prevalent. But the Archbishops of York retained the
system some years later.
Of the South and West Saxons there are no identi-
fiable coins, but of Kent, Mercia, and East Anglia
there are considerable series, those of the first-named
district comprising many struck by certain Archbishops
of Canterbury. The earliest silver penny is attributed
to jEthelbert II. of Kent, about 725 ; one of Baldred,
the last king, exhibits for the first time, unless we
reckon the trims above referred to, the place of
coinage, DRVR CITS, an abbreviated form of Doro-
vern'ia Civitas.
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