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King
Offa ruled Mercia for
39 years, from 757
until he died in 796. He
was one of the
most powerful kings in early Anglo Saxon England, and probably the
most famous of the Middle Ages. his
rule extended through Kent,
Sussex, Wessex and East Anglia; most
of England to the south of what is now Yorkshire, King
Offa was a brilliant soldier, suppressing
any resistance from the smaller kingdoms around Mercia. He
was also a clever
statesman, politician and organiser, being fair and kind-hearted
in everything that he did. The wealth and security he created had
great influence, socially and culturally, on the English people.
King Offa’s fame
was widespread, he earned the respect
of many European kings, and influenced
political affairs all over Europe. |
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His
most notable achievements were his establishment of a new form of
coinage that influenced
the design of English currency for many centuries and
the earthworks, known as Offa's Dyke, that were built to mark the
border between England and Wales.
The fact that he was able to raise sufficient manpower to
complete these enormous earthworks, which stretch
for 70 miles, is
an indication of King Offa's power. |
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Offa's
silver penny was the forerunner of modern coins, it had the king's name
and the name of the person responsible for the quality of the coins
stamped on it, he also produced some coins with a portrait of his wife,
Cynethryth, as queen of Mercia. Offa's coins were probably minted at
Canterbury, in Kent. |
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