Earlier this summer (2025) this very rare coin was found, one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon coins in existence. What makes it fascinating is the iconography used on the coin. You can probably see the Christian cross being grasped above a shape made up of three interlocking triangles. This was known as a valknut and was a pagan symbol linked to the Norse god Odin. So, minted around the time of the Sutton Hoo ship burial ( c 640 AD) this clearly shows a country in transition, from pagan to Christian.
How could you use this in your teaching of the Anglo-Saxons?
What about as a stimulus to KQ3 showing the arrival of Christianity. What symbols can the children identify? What seems to be happening in the image? What is odd about it? When might it have been minted?
You might also want to add it to your discussion of
