Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.

8

MONEY.

There are numerous coins of Carausius, some of them bear the
letters M.L., which are supposed to signify lMoneta Londinensis. Others
in copper, of the same usurper, bear c or CL for Colonia, or rather
Oamulodunum. The same letters appear on some of the coins of
Allectus, his successor.
The brass coins of Constantine and of his two sons have on many
of them the letters PLN or P. LON., Peeunia Londinensis, clearly shewing
them to be the produce of the province of Britain. It is probable,
that in the general reorganization of the Empire in 330, A.D. the mint
of London (then the only one in Britain) was suppressed. On the
later types (e g. Constantinopolis), of Constantine and his family, the
PLN and P. LON do not occur. But the London mint is now believed
to have been revived by Magnus Maximus in 383, A.D., and the mint
mark AUG. OB. occurring on some very rare gold solidi, (and also
AUG. on an unique silver piece) is more probably Londinium Augusta,
than Augusta Trevirorum (Treves).1 It appears that the Romans had
ceased to commemorate on their coins their exploits in Britain after
the reign of Caracalla.
The Romans maintained their power in Britain for nearly 400
years, and totally abandoned the island about the middle of the fifth
century. It has been truly remarked that "from the first landing
of Julius COesar to the final abandonment of the island by the Romans,
the history of Britain presents, with few intervals, one long scene ot
cruelty and extortion. Barbarian retaliation frequently followed
civilized aggression, and war and slaughter were often preferred by
the wretched islanders to the grinding taxation of their oppressors."
The Britons, finding themselves enfeebled and defenceless by thD
tyranny and oppression of their civilized masters, solicited the aid of
the Saxons against the attacks of their neighbours. The Saxons
came to their help as allies, but soon settled themselves, and gradually
brought the whole country under their power. The Britons were
driven into Wales, or became the subjects of the eight successive
Anglo-Saxon Kings, as the invaders were able to establish their power
in different parts of the Island. These eight kingdoms, called the
Octarchy, bore the names of Kent, South Saxons, East Saxons,
East Angles, West Saxons, Mercia, Deira and Bernicia. Little
is known of the coinage of these different kingdoms besides the
coins which are extant. The Saxon invaders most probably brought
their own money, for the Saxon coins bear neither in form, type
nor weight any resemblance to the Roman coins then current il
the island. The kingdom of Kent was the first established. The
most ancient coin known of the Saxons is the sceat, a silver coin,
and found to weigh from 15 to 19 grains. The word sceat is purely
Saxon, the same as sceat, a part, and may probably mean the smallest
part of the shilling. A sceat of Ethelbert I., King of Kent, 561 to
616 A.D., is said to be the earliest Saxon coin which has been assigned. The word scilling or scylling occurs in the laws of this King.
Fines are reckoned by shillings, and by pennies, in the laws
of Ina, who reigned over the West Saxons from 688 to 726 A.D).
1 See De Salis in Numism. Chron. for 1867 (X. S. Vol. vii.) p. 61.
2 The Anglo-Saxon version of the Gospels is sufficient to show the existence
of such coins as half-pennies and farthings in use among the Anglo-Saxons at the
time that version was made, not from the Greek or the Vulgate, but from the Vetu:+
Italica, as the Rev. Dr. Bosworth has shewn satisfactorily in p. xi. of the preface