Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Medieval English Coins Found in Rome Suggest Special Privileges for English Enclave

A discovery of 10th-century English coins in Rome may provide the first physical evidence of a thriving English neighborhood, the Schola Saxonum, near the Vatican.

Nineteen silver pennies and one halfpenny, minted in various English regions and bearing the names of kings like Edward the Elder, were found in Rome's Palazzo della Rovere. Historians suggest the large number of English coins found in Rome, exceeding even papal coins, indicates significant financial flow from England.

The coinage supports the theory of the Schola Saxonum, an English enclave known from historical texts, located within the Leonine City. Evidence of crafts like leather and metalworking suggests hundreds of residents may have lived there.

Researchers argue the coins are material evidence of this enclave, potentially indicating its residents had special privileges, including the use of their native currency in a foreign land.

The presence of a halfpenny, typically used in everyday transactions, and the lack of evidence for currency conversion suggest the English maintained economic independence.

While other foreign groups also had institutions in Rome, the English appear to have received unique privileges, such as the ability to use their own currency, in addition to burial rights.

The findings suggest the English community in Rome was unique, with residents undertaking dangerous journeys and receiving special status upon arrival.

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