scillinga

Scillinga is a term primarily associated with early medieval England, referring to a unit of currency. It represented a silver coin that was a significant part of the Anglo-Saxon monetary system. The value of a scillinga could fluctuate over time and across different kingdoms, but it generally held a fixed relationship to other denominations, such as the penny and the pound. The pound was the highest unit, typically divided into twenty shillings, with each shilling comprising twelve pennies. This system of reckoning, known as the £sd (pounds, shillings, pence) system, persisted in Britain for centuries, even after the widespread adoption of decimal currency in many other parts of the world. The scillinga, therefore, was not just a coin but a fundamental component of the economic structure of Anglo-Saxon society, facilitating trade and taxation. Its presence indicates a relatively sophisticated system of monetary exchange was in place during this period.