Frühmittelalter Silber Friesische Stachelschwein-ähnliche Sceatta mit pseudo-runischen Motiven - 11 mm

"Early Medieval Frisian Silver Porcupine-Type Sceatta with Pseudo-Runic Motifs
Culture / Period: Early Medieval
Date / Period: Circa 695–740 A.D.
Material: Silver
Dimensions: 11 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 39

The current owner purchased the Early Medieval Frisian silver sceatta with pseudo-runic motifs; no further details of this transaction are available.
The previous owner, from the Netherlands, stated that the object had been in his collection since an unspecified date.
According to the previous owner, the object had previously been part of a private collection in the Netherlands; no specific dates were provided.
No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object is available.

Background Information:
This small silver coin belongs to the early medieval coinage known as sceattas, which circulated from the late 7th to the mid-8th century A.D. The present example is of the well-known Porcupine type, associated with Frisia and the wider North Sea trading world. The obverse shows the characteristic arched form with projecting “quills”, often understood as a highly stylised transformation of a human head or bust with a diadem, rather than a literal depiction of a porcupine.

The reverse displays a square motif with pseudo-runic signs. These signs imitate the appearance of runic lettering but do not necessarily form a readable inscription. Such decorative pseudo-inscriptions are typical of several early medieval sceatta types and reflect the abstract visual language used on coinage during this period.

Sceattas were small silver coins, generally weighing around one gram, and became an important medium of exchange after the decline of Roman monetary systems in northwestern Europe. In Frisia, they played a significant role in trade along the Rhine delta and the North Sea coast. Such coins were traded across large distances, reaching regions such as present-day England, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

The production of these coins reflects an organised minting tradition connected to regional trade centres rather than random local manufacture. Their compact size, silver content, and recognisable designs made them practical for daily transactions in markets, ports, and trading settlements. The Porcupine type is one of the most recognisable groups within this early medieval monetary tradition.

This piece forms a tangible connection to the early medieval North Sea world, in which objects of this kind played a practical role in daily exchange and long-distance commerce."