gold coin small medal found time near church canterbury england canterbury items coin items found resides scholarly debate exists items grave historians studied object conclude buried necklace 6th century woman grave coin set mount worn jewellery inscription surrounding figure inscription refers bishop accompanied married king kent reverse coin double barred cross cross lettering coin probably struck canterbury late 6th century likely coin likely conversion christianity coin oldest surviving example design figured coins cross known predecessors northern european depiction cross medium discovery ownership revealed public april presented coins found meeting similar items acquired later acquired items items published origins circumstances finding smith knew found years items found items found preserved items found churchyard east canterbury according published account stated found door abbey instead collection including passed collection collection passed collection forms argues items found different graves basing ray analysis coins historian thought possibility graves different time periods containing coins period small likelihood coming graves slim century find gold jewellery grave churchyard coins probably necklace buried woman grave earliest surviving anglo saxon coin description gold coin set loop mount worn jewellery bust man wearing border dots edge written legend inscription runs backwards right left letters inscribed backwards initial terminal latin degree shifted sideways axes words second grouping identical sideways terminal standard ecclesiastical latin word means bishop reverse coin appears cross set base descending upper arm cross circle half circles intersect cross cross upside letters cross flanked inscriptions reading cross letters weighs grams smith felt legend named 6th century bishop felt referred bishop accompanied princess kent late 6th century christian married pagan king kent died probably late origins similarities coins coin formed base likely england probably canterbury evans felt produced member household sure produced frank concluded meant money struck use showing conversion christianity historian argued canterbury native given dates reign appears likely coin struck loop suspension feature pagan quasi coins apparently jewellery featuring king stamped similar coins especially southern parts showing influences reverse known predecessors late 6th century kings putting names coins surviving coins kingdom bishop design figure derived byzantine imperial coins cross large closely resembles altar cross double barred cross common symbol time striking historian argues form cross reverse set resemble cross set 4th 5th century believed site inside jerusalem speculates base cross meant symbolize hill circle crossing cross reverse early form cross later appears conjunction throne motif byzantine art northern european artistic work display cross item use circle crossing cross
Liudhard medalet