Rights Holder: Kent County Council
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Unique ID: KENT-5E6A92
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
An Anglo-Saxon Coin pendant utilising a pseudo imperial solidus of Cross-on-steps type (North No. 28/1, Stewart A.93/92), dating c.AD 640-670.
Description:
Obverse: Bust right wearing diadem of two rows of large petals and ornamental drapery. Legend: 'ƆNAT[o o]TAVCo' legend starts at 7 o'clock.
Reverse: Cross potent on pyramidal pedestal of four steps. Legend: 'hITnP PnTIh' Blundered, Mirrored first h is reversed?. 'oWo' in exergue.
Die axis 12 o'clock .
The pendant has an incomplete suspension loop at roughly 12 o'clock of typically ribbed form, it is warped and incomplete. The area just left of the suspension loop appears to have some wear or damage perhaps from the attachment of the loop. The coin has a distinct pale gold colour.
Measurements: 19.45mm long (inc suspension loop), 18.25mm wide (diameter of solidus), 1.76mm thick and 3.2g in weight.
Discussion: This pendant belongs to a group of pendants utilising pseudo-imperial solidi coins, the particularly coin type being utilised here has only ever been found adapted into pendants (Lyon 2014). The coin in the example discussed here appears to be die-linked with the Sheppey Solidus Pendant from the Lyon Collection discussed by Lyon (2014) and currently In the care of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Reverse die linked with examples discussed by (Stewart 1978) from Paris and Nuremberg and Obverse die linked to an example from Cambridge. Dating comes from contemporary Byzantine issues utilising cross on steps reverse types from coins of Heraclius (610-641), combined with the 'oWo' which appears to be copying the 'CONOB' mintmark with ligated central letters and missing or misplaced C & B which appears on Sicilian coins of Constans II (641-668) (Lyon 2014). A date around the middle of the 7th century is therefore suggested.
Notes:
There is no evidence to suggest that coins of this type ever entered circulation as currency, and their adaptation as jewellery means that - when determining their status under the Treasure Act - they are typically treated as objects rather than coins. This pendant is made of gold and is over 300 years old, thus it constitutes potential Treasure under the stipulations of The Treasure Act 1996.
This is a find of note and has been designated: National importance
Class: Coin Pendant
Subsequent action after recording: Declared Treasure but returned to Finder as Museum unable to acquire
Treasure case tracking number: 2017T929
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 640
Date to: Circa AD 670
Quantity: 1
Length: 19.45 mm
Width: 18.25 mm
Thickness: 1.76 mm
Weight: 3.2 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 8th October 2017
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Treasure case number: 2017T929
Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lyon, S. | 2014 | A Seventh-Century Anglo-Saxon Solidus Pendant. | Abingdon | Routledge | |||
Stewart, I. | 1978 | Anglo-Saxon Gold coins | London | Spink and Son |