Sceat Series E, 'Vico' type

The 'Vico' designation derives from the Latin word for trading settlement — almost certainly a reference to Dorestad, the Frisian emporium on the Rhine that dominated North Sea commerce through the late seventh and early eighth centuries. These sceattas circulated as working currency across a merchant network stretching from England's east coast to the Rhine delta, recovered in significant numbers from riverine and coastal excavation sites that map almost exactly onto known Frisian trade routes.

Series E is the most abundant of all sceatta series by find count, yet individual specimens vary considerably in silver fineness — alloy degradation across the production period is well-documented and reflects no single mint's output.