Early Anglo-Saxon Period, 1. Gold Shilling, Late Transitional/Pre-Primary period, struck in...

The Chelmsford Hoard of ‘Dark Age’ Gold Coins Early Anglo-Saxon Period, 1. Gold Shilling, Late Transitional/Pre-Primary period, struck in Kent, c. 665-675, ‘Pada’ type PaIA variant i, [–] oiznÉ” around helmeted bust right, braided hair, helmet with beaded crest, rev. ᛈᚨᛞᚨ [pada], in elongated runes in rectangular compartment, mal above, chevrons to sides and either side of tufa below, 1.23g/1h (GCASE 910; SCBI Abramson 15; Abramson 1-10; N 151; S 768). 2. Gold Shilling, Late Transitional/Pre-Primary period, struck in Kent, c. 665-675, ‘Pada’ type PaIII, diademed bust right with large jewel before, bejewelled drapery, É”ncλti vii λvc around, rev. novi ᛈᚨᛞᚨ [pada] λnvs pf λvc around cross saltire with annulet terminals within inner beaded circle, 1.14g/10h (GCASE 1010; SCBI Abramson 21; Abramson 1-50; N 31; S 770). 3. Gold Shilling, Late Transitional/Pre-Primary period, struck in Kent, c. 665-675, ‘Pada’ type PaIII, diademed bust right with large jewel before, bejewelled drapery, É”ncλ[–] vii λvc around, rev. [–]i ᛈᚨᛞᚨ [pada] λnvs [–] around cross saltire with annulet terminals within inner beaded circle, 1.28g/7h (GCASE 1010; SCBI Abramson 21; Abramson 1-50; N 31; S 770). 4. Gold Shilling, Late Transitional/Pre-Primary period, struck in Kent, c. 665-675, ‘Pada’ type PaIII, diademed bust right with large jewel before, bejewelled drapery, legend not visible, rev. [–]nvs pf λvii around cross saltire with annulet terminals within inner beaded circle, 0.60g/7h (GCASE 1010; SCBI Abramson 21; Abramson 1-50; N 31; S 770). Generally good fine to very fine, of pale yellow gold with dusty hoard patinas; the second and third coins with surface deposits £2,400-£3,000 --- Provenance: Found near Chelmsford, Essex, 30th August-4th September 2021 (PAS ESS-93F94E; TVC 2022T49). Abramson (2022) notes that Anglo-Saxon transitional coinages are “pale gold types, visibly debased and sometimes appearing silver, containing 10-35% gold”; the coins from the Chelmsford Hoard fit almost perfectly into this range. The first coin of the hoard, an earlier PaIA type, has an average gold content of 41.9% and silver content of 53.63%, making it notably high for the period. The remaining three coins are as follows: 2. Au 32.07%; Ag 58.84% 3. Au 25.82%; Ag 64.16% 4. Au 33.12%; Ag 63.32% The coins also contained traces of copper, lead, bismuth and iron. The traces of iron range significantly, a feature which we can probably attributed to the surface deposits, particularly on coins 2 and 3.