ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Saxon coin history

Okay kiddo, let's talk about Saxon coins.

Back in a long time ago, people used to trade things they had for things they wanted. But carrying around cows and sheep to trade was heavy and it was hard to make change. So, people started using coins made of metal like gold, silver, and bronze, to make trading easier.

The Saxons were a group of people who lived in what we now call England. They started making coins around the year 600 AD, which was a really long time ago. The Saxons made their coins out of silver, and they had designs on them that showed important things about their culture, like their kings and their beliefs.

Saxon coins were not all the same, though. Over time, the designs changed and the way they were made changed too. Sometimes a new king would come into power and they would want to make their own coins, so the design would change. Other times, they would change the way they made the coins to make them better or to make them harder for people to copy.

People used Saxon coins to buy things they needed, like food, clothes, and tools. The coins were also used to pay for things like taxes or rent. Sometimes, people would bury their coins underground to keep them safe. Then, years later, someone might find the buried coins and they would have a little piece of history!

So, that's a little bit about Saxon coins. They were a way for people to trade and they had designs that showed important things about their culture. Plus, they were shiny and fun to collect!