Gareth Williams studied history at the universities of St Andrews and Bergen, and has been Curator of Early Medieval Coinage at the British Museum since 1996. He has published extensively on Anglo-Saxon and Viking history and numismatics. Major publications include the CD-Rom 'World of Money'; 'Coinage and History in the North Sea World, c.500-1250', and 'Silver Economy in the Viking World'.

Coins are among the most important sources of information for the Anglo-Saxon period. In addition to what they tell us about the Anglo-Saxon economy, the combination of inscriptions and images provide evidence about kingship, religion and cultural identity. Written by one of the foremost experts on Anglo-Saxon coins, this book provides an overview of Anglo-Saxon coins in their historical context, drawing on recent finds as well as famous treasures to provide an authoritative account of current interpretations. Covering the period from the Anglo-Saxon settlements of the fifth century, through the emergence of the great kingdoms of Kent, East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex, to the Viking invasions of the mid-ninth century and the conquest of all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms apart from the Wessex of Alfred the Great, this is an essential volume for any aspiring amateur archaeologist, coin collector or student interested in this historical period.