Both Offa of Mercia and Alfred the Great have left their imprints on the history of the English people - despite years of turmoil and darkness - leaving behind rays of enlightenment and civilized progress. Offa of Mercia (757-796), a contemporary of Charlemagne (768-814), is credited with introducing the silver penny to England. The silver penny of 793-796AD was "minted in Canterbury by the moneyer Baba". For about two centuries before Offa's reign, the main currency/coinage were smaller coins, replicas of Roman/Byzantine coins with Celtic-Germanic symbols. King Offa changed all that - the coins became heavier and larger. So, in a way, Offa's penny became the symbol of English currency. Genuine Offa coins are rare and many copies are sold to tourists as replicas of 'the first English penny' . Perhaps his most memorable achievement was ordering the construction of a clear demarcation barrier between Mercia and the Welsh kingdoms. A partial demarcation already existed, probably constructed during the reign of King Aethelbald (716-757). 'Offa's Dyke' marked a precise dividing line between the two peoples - English communities to its west, Welsh communities to its east. This actually helped the emergence of Wales. …
