Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages

by Janina Ramírez

Coins don’t just tell us about someone’s influence: they are among the most fascinating and useful of all historical artefacts. If discovered in an archaeological site they provide dating evidence, and the materials and alloys used reveal information on metalworking and systems of exchange. Their imagery is an art-historical goldmine, with symbols and styles indicating cultural links. And the combination of text and image can reveal ideological issues of importance to kingdoms, states and nations. One coin minted during Offa and Cynethryth’s time as rulers reveals more than most. Struck in 774, the template is that of the golden dinars produced under the powerful Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur at the same time. This coin indicates that the Mercian court was in contact with Islamic lands and sought to directly copy their style of inscription, even if the English version indicates little knowledge of written Arabic.