In various places I've seen references to or hints that the economy of England was unusual in the Middle Ages. William the Conqueror's chaplain called it "a treasure house of Araby" for its gold and precious metals. There's also the early spread of payment in lieu of military service, and, at least in the later Middle Ages, hinting at a more developed cash economy (which would tally with the availability of metals). Then there's the idea of the stout English yeoman, something more than an impoverished, oppressed peasant.
So are there things that made the English economy distinctive in this period? And if so, do they make England particularly unusual compared to its neighbours, or is it just the usual variation between countries?
England benefits from being relatively politically stable during much of the early medieval period, at least compared to large swathes of France, Germany or Spain. Anglo-Saxon England had a tightly controlled coinage that was much more valuable than its Carolingian contemporaries. Although post-Conquest England had its share of political problems, especially during the Anarchy, royal political control tended to be much more secure than in France. Following the Black Death in the early fourteenth century, the resulting labour shortage also allowed for workers to push for far higher wages.
Southern England had an extremely prosperous wool trade across the English channel with cities in the Low Countries. England was also able to access extensive silver deposits in Wales. In the early 1100s, extensive silver deposits were found in Carlisle, which turned it into a fantastically wealthy boomtown, attracting trade from Ireland and Flanders. It fell into Scottish hands during The Anarchy of the twelfth century, and was productive enough to essentially reshape the entire Scottish economy, allowing David I to build an extensive chain of castles and monasteries across Scotland. Carlisle passed back into English hands at the start of the reign of Henry II and provided a substantial amount of liquidity to the English economy.
Britnell and Hatcher, Progress and Problems in Medieval England
Keynes, Kings, Currency and Alliances