How did the Anglo-Saxons obtain the treasure that
tempted Vikings to raid England frequently in the ninth
century and again between 980 and 1018? As Britain then
had no gold mine and its lead mines yielded very little
silver, this treasure must have been imported. Some may
have been given, but most was obtained by trade. Until
the ninth century the main source was Francia where
there was a lively demand for English produce. Cross
Channel trade flourished, much of it passing through the
major ports, or wics, that developed in the seventh
century. The rapid decline of this trade in the ninth
century was caused, not by the Vikings, but by a general
shortage of new silver in western Europe after c. 850,
reflected in the debasement of the Frankish and
Anglo-Saxon coinages. Silver was, however, imported to
England by the Danes who settled there in the late ninth
century. A very important source of new silver was
discovered in the 960s in Germany. This led to a rapid
expansion of the German economy that created a demand
for raw materials and food from England. Very soon
England's towns expanded and its trade, internal and
external, grew. Its new wealth attracted Vikings, but
trade continued and, although they extracted a great
deal of silver, new supplies from Germany enabled the
English to maintain their currency. Recent studies have
shown that it grew to a peak under Edward the Confessor.
This confirms the evidence of Domesday Book that on the
eve of the Norman Conquest England was a very rich,
highly urbanized, kingdom with a large, well-controlled
coinage of high quality. This coinage, and Domesday Book
itself, are indeed good evidence that English government
was then remarkably effective.
Peter Sawyer
offers an account of the ways wealth was accumulated and
the forms it took in Anglo-Saxon England, with emphasis
on recent developments in the study of Anglo-Saxon coins
and Domesday Book, and some of their surprising
results.
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