FREE INDENTIFICATION SERVICE

Early Anglo-Saxon gold shillings, pale gold shillings, silver sceats and base stycas may be submitted for identification without charge. I do not identify mid- and late-Anglo-Saxon pennies.

Simply email good quality images, preferably against a white background, to me or use the Contact Form.

When submitting an image of a coin for identification, please provide full information - provenance, findspot (parish), weight etc.

In exchange for this free service, image use permission is deemed to have been granted.

The Small Print

There are no express or implied warranties or guaranties as to the accuracy of any identification, the authenticity of any coin or its value, nor is there any commitment to purchase at the valuation given or any other price. Use of images and find information will be treated in confidence.

Illustration

The reverse shown above is variety Cii from the York group of gold shillings. I have attributed the inscription to Paulinus, first bishop of York, 627-33. I believe this type, and the Kentish shillings ascribed to King Eadbald, some of which may be associated with bishop Mellitus (d. 624), to have initiated English coinage. They are the only English gold issues ascribed to historically documented figures. See British Numismatic Journal 2019, p. 1-18.