Finally, in its system of monetary reckoning the Kentish kingdom seems to have been peculiar from the first. And as our knowledge of the Kentish wergelds is essential to an understanding of the division of classes, a good deal must depend upon a previous understanding of the currency in which the amounts of the wergelds are described. Before proceeding further it is necessary, therefore, to devote a section to a careful consideration of the subject. The experience already gained will not be thrown away if it should help us to understand the meaning of the scætts and scillings of the Kentish laws. II. THE SCÆTTS AND SCILLINGS OF THE KENTISH LAWS. All the payments mentioned in the Kentish laws are stated in scætts and scillings--naturally, by far the larger number of them in the latter. What were these scætts and scillings? First, what were the scætts?[278] [Sidenote: The scætts of 28·8 wheat-grains like Merovingian tremissis.] We have already seen that before the time of Offa the silver coinage current in England consisted mainly of the silver tremisses of Merovingian standard, _i.e._ twenty to the Roman ounce, or 28·8 wheat-grains. These are known to numismatists as silver pence of the _Sceatt_ series. That these silver coins were those known by the name of sceatts we seem to have the direct and independent evidence of the following fragment ‘On Mercian Law,’ already quoted but sufficiently important to be repeated here.[279] Ceorles wergild is on Myrcna lage cc scill. The ceorl’s wergeld is in the law of the Mercians 200 scillings. Þegnes wergild is syx swa micel, þæt bið twelf hund scill. The thane’s wergeld is six times as much, _i.e._ 1200 scillings. Þonne bið cynges anfeald wergild six þegna wer be Myrcna laga þæt is xxx þusend sceatta, and þæt bið ealles cxx punda.… Then is the King’s simple wergeld six thanes’ wergeld by Mercian law, _i.e._ 30,000 sceatts, and that is in all 120 pounds.… Now, as previously observed, the sum of 30,000 sceatts must evidently be taken as a round sum. The statement that the King’s simple wergeld was 120 pounds or six times the thane’s wergeld of 1,200 Mercian scillings seems to make this clear, for 7200 Mercian scillings of four sceatts (28,800 sceatts) would amount exactly to 120 pounds.[280] [Sidenote: The sceatts minted by Kentish moneyers.]