S.847F Eadberht

Sceat of Eadberht, king of Northumbria 737-758
Moneyer: unknown
Mint: York (presumably)
SCBC 847F
N. 177
Booth type Fxi
Abramson 70-280
Chapman I2
O: EOTBERHTVS:, mustached face in center
R: Fantastic animal facing right, triqueta below, cross under tail
Motif: face/fantastic animal

The mustached face is an interesting and quite unusual central motif, known from just a few specimens. I can trace 3 other specimens, two from the same dies as this example. The face could represent Eadberht himself, or perhaps was a pagan symbol that was kept on the nominally Christian coinage. I've heard it described as a representation of Odin/Wodan. However, the picture looks wrong for that, as most depictions of the old god show him with a beard. The face is not likely Christ, who is also typically shown bearded. However, mustaches were worn by Anglo-Saxons; following their conversion to Christianity many abandoned the long beards. A long handlebar style mustache is famously worn by Harold Godwinson on the Bayeaux Tapestry, and may have been stylish back to the 8th century.

Eadberht also issued coinage with his brother Ecgberht the Archbishop of York, which depicts a full length person holding crosses, presumably Ecgberht himself.

If the face is Eadberht's, it could represent one of the earliest depiction of a the face of a known king on English coinage, preceding the coinage of Offa by a few decades (aside from the possible 7th century coins of Eadbald of Kent).

Ex- Silbury Coins, EMC 2015.0297