Anglo-Saxon coins
I can explain how archaeologists and historians have used Anglo-Saxon coins to infer things about life in Anglo-Saxon Britain.
Anglo-Saxon coins
I can explain how archaeologists and historians have used Anglo-Saxon coins to infer things about life in Anglo-Saxon Britain.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- All the coins found at Sutton Hoo were Frankish, showing how well connected Kent and East Anglia were to Europe.
- Roman influence continued: Offa made coins making him look like an Emperor with Romulus, Remus and a wolf on the back!
- Whilst major towns collapsed after the Romans left, evidence of coins suggested they grew again under the Anglo-Saxons.
- Anglo-Saxon kings such as Offa began to mint their own coins at growing towns in places like London and Canterbury.
- These, along with lots of pottery, show how towns grew due to the increasing wealth and trade in Anglo-Saxon Britain.
Keywords
Franks - the Franks were a Germanic tribe that were very powerful in early medieval Europe, particularly in modern-day France
Mint - to mint means to make a coin by stamping metal; it can also be used as a noun to describe where coins are made
Pottery - pottery refers to objects made of clay that are shaped and then fired at high temperatures to harden them
Common misconception
Pupils may believe that Offa was the only Anglo-Saxon king to mint coins.
Offa was the first, but other kings minted coins with their head on too. The Archbishop of Canterbury has also been found on coins as well as Offa's queen: Cynethryth.
To help you plan your year 5 history lesson on: Anglo-Saxon coins, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 5 history lesson on: Anglo-Saxon coins, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the The Anglo-Saxons: how do we know about life in Anglo-Saxon England? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
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