The Anglo-Saxons took control of most of Britain, although they never conquered Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. They divided the country into kingdoms, each with its own royal family. The stronger kingdoms often took control of the weaker kingdoms.

By around AD 600 the five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, Kent and Anglia.

Early Anglo-Saxons wrote using letters called runes. They believed runes had magical powers.

Anglo Saxon England (597 - 687)
The coming of St. Augustine, triumph of Rome-oriented Christianity, Saxon control of island, rise of Mercia, Offa's Dyke.

Anglo Saxon England (688 - 801)
Rise of Wessex, King Ine establishes his law, Venerable Bede, Viking invasions.
Anglo Saxon England (802 - 898)
Triumph of Egbert, development of Wessex dynasty, Viking wars, Alfred the Great, St. Swithun, Peace of Wedmore, the Danelaw.

Anglo Saxon England (899 - 977)
Athelstan, St. Dunstan, growth of monasteries, more Viking wars, Battle of Brunanburh
Anglo Saxon England (978 - 1066)
Aethelred the Unready, Danegeld, Danes gain English crown, Edward the Confessor, rise of the Godwins, Westminster Abbey, Harold and William at Hastings.

1.16g, 10.98mm

Series D (Type 2c) (North 168) EMC 2007.0239.

Saxon C600-775 AD Silver Sceat 0.88g, 11.07mm - Series C2 and recorded as EMC 2007.0268.

Saxon C600 - 775 AD Silver Sceat 1.16g, 12.18mm

'Thanks for the new find, which I have recorded as EMC 2007.0081. It is an interesting imitation of Series R, which does not closely correspond to any of the Series R subtypes'.

Saxon C600-775 AD Silver Sceat 1.23g,11.15mm

'Many thanks for the latest find (EMC 2006.0342), which is excellent example of the Series C1 inverted type'.

Saxon C600 - 775 AD Silver Sceat, 0.94g - 11.09 mm

'The sceat is Series F, variety bi (Metcalf, p. 129) (EMC 2006.0335).

'After puzzling over the reverse inscription of your second coin (EMC 2006.0336) for some considerable time I realised this is actually a Pada type III sceat (North 31). The reverse inscription is not as clear as it
might be, but you can just see the runic letters of Pada, which are larger than the other letters. The 'pellets' in the angles of the cross are actually annulets, smoothed down by wear. This coin was issued during the transition from pale gold shillings to silver pennies or sceattas, c.665-680, and its very worn condition suggests that it was in circulation until well into the 8th century. Collectors may not like worn coins, but you could argue that the heavy
wear of this coin makes it more interesting as a piece of monetary history than an unworn coin that saw very little circulation'.
Dr Martin Allen

9thC Viking engraved silver strap end 5.82g, 44.44mm L x 11.91mm W. found by Cal Shawn

Decoration matches the bowl on the left which is part of a known Viking silver hoard

C10thC Anglo Saxon strap end 18.48g, 34.41mmL x 18.33mmW x6.53mm H

Only one of it's type found in Britain - donated to Colchester museum by NovaScotia Andy

'It is probably an insular copy of a Carolingian style, or it could even be the product of a workshop located on the fringes of the Carolingian continent, maybe somewhere like Domburg on the coast of Frisia. 10th - 11th century in date'.

Coenwulf, king of Mercia (796-821) 1.31g, 19.78mm found by Wis Paul

EMC 20050226

'This is a good example of the earliest East Anglian coinage of Coenwulf (North 363). It is quite rare, as there are only two other examples of North 363 on EMC, from dies of different styles'.

Following Offa on the throne of Mercia was Coenwulf, who succeeded the great king in name and deed. He was indeed an overlord, much as Offa was, and he played the part well. He even had his own silver penny made.Coenwulf, of course, had really succeeded Ecgfrith, Offa's son, who managed to hold onto the crown for only 141 days. Coenwulf proving himself the better man for the throne, Ecgfrith paid for his defense of his father's bloodline with his own blood.Coenwulf soon went about continuing the anti-Welsh doctrine of Offa, engaging the Welsh on their own land in the 797 Battle of Rhuddlan. Fighting against a combined force from Powys and Dyfed, Coenwulf scores a convincing victory, even gaining for himself the spoils of killing Dyfed's King Maredydd.After this significant victory, Coenwulf continued into Wales. The next year, at a battle in Snowdonia, Coenwulf and his crack Mercian troops add Gwynedd's King Caradog to the list of the Welsh kings killed in battle. Coenwulf's domination of eastern Wales is nearly complete.Not much more is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon and Welsh chronicles of the times, for a number of years. We are left to assume that the struggles between the two peoples continued off and on. The thread of Coenwulf in Wales is taken up again in 818, when the chroniclers tell us that the Mercians raided Dyfed. (One chronicle uses the word "ravaged.")Coenwulf continued his campaigning in Wales until his death at Basingwerk, in 821. His target at the time: Powys.So we can see from a simple glance at a map that Coenwulf and his Mercians were controlling a vast amount of territory at this time. In addition to most of Anglo-Saxon England (in one way or another), Mercia now controlled or could lay claim to much of Wales. The results of Coenwulf may very well be seen to have outstripped even the lofty ambitions of the great King Offa.Coenwulf did his part for the Church as well, granting money for the establishment of churches and abbeys throughout Mercia. But such offerings to the Church did little to assuage the concerns of the common people, who were suffering the most under the Mercian yoke. The tradition of Offa, reinforced by Coenwulf, went a long way toward the viewing of Mercia as "the beast." In just a few years more, Wessex would be seen as the instrumental of salvation from the oppression precipitated by Mercia.

Late Saxon stirrup strap mount Class A Type 11a

Sub tringular mount depicts a Lion looking upwards with its front paw raised and tail curled between its legs and over the back found by Ohio John

'The new find (EMC 2007.0069) is a Merovingian tremissis of the 7th century. The name of the mint on the obverse seems to read PAATICIACO, and the moneyer's name on the reverse is DEAIRENASCA. I have found a coin with a fairly similar obverse inscription (PATICACO VIGO) from an unidentified town in the region of Tours (Prou 413). If I obtain any more information I shall let you know.

I have passed on your enquiry about the nature of the site to Mark Blackburn, who is much better qualified than I to answer it. The evidence you are finding for early Anglo-Saxon activity in the area is certainly very impressive'.

Saxon period gold coin 6th/8thC, Early Continental (Merovingian Francia) (584-750), Ruler: anon. (tremissis) (590-675). Found by Boston Bud (Y)

EMC number 2004.0030 (Ref: Reported by Caroline MacDonald, FLO for Colchester)
State: Early Continental (Merovingian Francia) (584-750), Ruler: anon. (tremissis) (590-670)
Type: Merovingian tremissis (500-675)
Mint: Thiré (TIDIRICIACO), moneyer: Gundobode (GVNDOBODE).
Weight: 1.47g.
Uncertain Findspot.
Obv. TIDIRICIACO
Rev. +GVNDOBODE
Source:
Comments: Cf. Belfort 4297

Thanks to Bud for sending more some more information he researched about his coin. I must admit I knew nothing about this period so this is fascinating stuff.

Merovingian Tremissis

The Merovingian dynasty is said to have begun in 481 with King Clovis I, king of the Franks, who defeated the last Roman army in Gaul. King Clovis, a Salian Frank, supposedly descended from a mythical hero named Merovech. The dynasty ended with the power of the last Merovingian kings being taken over by a prime minister, Pippin the short (752-768). His son Karel (Charles) the great or Charlemagne (768-814) initiated the Carolinginan Dynasty.

The Merovingian Dynasty, ca 500-751
The Carolingian Dynasty, 752-911
The Saxon Dynasty 919-1024

Here is a site listing the Merovingian Rulers

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Rulers/merovingian.html

It is said that the Franks were the only tribe to make and use coins. Circulated gold coins were called Solidi and Tremissis. They were crude coins with simple portraits and figures. In the EMC at the Fitzwilliam Museum, where coins can be viewed on line. http://www-cm.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/ I found about 80 Tremmisis. All look different to me.

The gold tremmisis found here is described as “early” continental Merovingian Francia (584-750) because at the end of the 7th century, gold coins were replaced by silver denarii or pennies. Silver coins from the Netherlands are called sceattas.