Beschreibung:

Anglo-Saxon England, Primary Series (680-710), Silver Sceat, Series A (A1), type 2a, TIIC with arched horns, before radiate bust, broken A behind, straight exergual lines, rev. degenerate votive standard with seriffed letters, tufa above containing trefoil of pellets, rounded horns, seriffed letters in margin, 1.20g, 0° (SL 3-10 plate coin; Abramson, 2012a, Figs 15 & 20; and, 2012b, Fig 17b; SCBI 69, 30 this coin; T&S pp. 85-9, 88-91; Gannon 43-4, 43, no. 144; 47, 48, no. 173; 55, nos. 172, 177; 143, 183, 184, no. 18; Figs. 2.29 and 5.19a; North 40; Spink 775 plate coin), light scuffing to bust, and with attempted piercing before face, otherwise nearly extremely fine and excessively rare provenance DNW 60, 9 December 2003, lot 485 ~ Found by Mr Hutchings at Bishopstone, near Seaford (East Sussex), 2003 ~ When offered in 2003, the lot was accompanied by correspondence from the late Professor Michael Metcalf, commenting on the coin's excessive rarity (then only the second recorded specimen), and its possible connection to military encounters in South East England in the last quarter of the 7th Century.