Northumbria kingdom chose copper coins over abundant silver reserves

Researchers from the University of Durham discovered that the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria deliberately chose to mint copper alloy coins despite having large reserves of precious metals.

This region, which covered much of modern-day northern England and southern Scotland, behaved differently than neighboring territories during the Early Middle Ages. Historians previously believed that constant Viking raids during the 8th and 9th centuries depleted the kingdom's wealth. They assumed rulers were forced to use copper because silver and gold became scarce.

However, Dr. John Luke Carson analyzed all gold and silver objects found in the kingdom from the 9th century to determine the actual availability of these metals. The study revealed that Northumbria actually possessed significant amounts of silver and gold during this period. Instead of a forced economic move, the kingdom likely chose to lower the silver content of its currency to create more affordable coins.

These copper alloy coins were minted in higher quantities to facilitate daily transactions for a larger portion of the population. This shift allowed the king to tax growing minting activity while providing economic and social benefits to common people.