`Saxon Coins
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Early Anglo-Saxon Gold Coins
WAu-8089: Early Anglo-Saxon English Crondall Gold Thrysma or
Shilling. Witman
type with obverse bust right, a trident in front. Circa 620-45. The reverse has a blundered legend
surrounding a crude cross with what is a very different 4th terminal to what
we'd normally expect to see on this type.
Sutherland type IV.1, S.R. 753. Of excellent gold content - it was from this
point onwards that the metal used for Saxon coinage was increasingly and
progressively "watered down" with silver (the post Crondall and European types have that insipid gold colour
about them) until by circa AD 660's, they were all entirely silver in metal
content. Recorded on
the E.M.C. database (2022-0426).
The Crondall (Hampshire) Hoard of 1828 was the
single largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold coins found prior to the 21st century.
It comprised 97 gold coins, together
with three unstruck gold planchets and one
gold-plated object that could have been a coin forgery. Of the 97 coins, 73 were Anglo-Saxon Thrymsa and 24 were Merovingian or Frankish tremissis. The
consensus amongst historians is that hoard dates from between AD 635 and about
AD 650. The coins are now in the
collection of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. Of the 73 Thrysmas,
x4 in the hoard had the same obverse die as the coin listed here. All Crondall
"Native Anglo-Saxon" type Thrysmas as rare
- even the late "two emperors" type, which is invariably the one to
turn up, is rare as very few gold Saxon coins were minted and hardly any
survived - it would only be through hoards or casual field losses. This is an extremely important and significant
Anglo-Saxon gold coin. See the gold section
WAu-9097:
Anglo-Saxon
Britain Gold Thrymsa or Shilling - Crondall Type. Witman derived 1
type, circa 620-45 AD. Obverse bust right, a trident
in front. The bust is most interesting
as unlike most of this type, it clearly shows the long hair at the neck
together with the impressive collar. The
reverse is a plain cross in an inner circle surrounded by a blundered
legend. Of excellent gold content - it
was from this point onwards that the gold used for Saxon coinage was
increasingly and progressively "watered down" with silver (the post Crondall and later European types have that insipid,
debased gold colour about them) until by circa AD 660's, just a single
generation on, they were all entirely silver in metal content. See old tickets here. The Crondall
(Hampshire) Hoard of 1828 was the single largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold coins
found prior to the 21st century. It
comprised 97 gold coins, together with three unstruck
gold planchets and one gold-plated object that could have been a coin forgery. Of the 97 coins, 73 were Anglo-Saxon Thrymsa and 24 were Merovingian or Frankish tremissis. The
consensus amongst historians is that hoard dates from between AD 635 and about
AD 650. The coins are now in the
collection of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. While it remains on the internet, it's well
worth looking at this forum post: https://www.numisforums.com/topic/1332-the-anglo-saxon-gold-coins-of-the-crondall-hoard/ as it gives an excellent
summary of the coinage, as well as having a good illustration of a die pair to
this coin. All Crondall
"Native Anglo-Saxon" type Thrysmas are rare
- even the late "two emperors" type, which is invariably the one to
turn up. Very few gold Saxon coins were
minted and hardly any survived - it would only be through hoards or casual
field losses. It is interesting to note
the Christian cross on the reverse. In
AD 595, Pope Gregory
the Great chose Augustine to lead a mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons of
Britain to the Christian faith. Augustine
was most likely living as a monk in Rome at the time. He duly arrived on these shores in AD 597: Æthelberht of Kent
became the first Anglo-Saxon king to be baptised, around AD 600. He in turn
imposed Christianity on Saebert of Essex and Rædwald of East Anglia. Augustine (later Saint Augustine) was recorded by Bede as really only talking to the top end of English
society. Columba
and Aiden were the other two recorded in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People
who were on a mission to convert Britons to Christianity. Columba was
slightly earlier than Augustine but alas he only focused on Iona in Scotland.
Aiden was the most effective, according to Bede, as although he set up the Lindesfarne
Monastery (later to be targeted so infamously by the Vikings), he went out and
about, spreading the Gospel to the common man in the street, and a great many
of them. However, he was much later,
around AD 634. These coins are
tentatively from Kent,
620-45 AD, so it's a working theory that as Æthelberht
of Kent was firmly Christian, his son, Eadbald of
Kent (who, to complicate things a little, was a Christian, then reverted back
to his pagan ways, but ultimately became a Christian king) would also want the
Christian message spreading from beyond the royal palaces - remember, this was
all a bit too early in time for Aiden, and Augustine
was firmly ensconced in royal palaces only.
What better way to spread the word than for a Christian cross to be
emblazoned upon Saxon coinage for all the people to see - the only way really
to get any kind of message to the man in the street in all four corners of the
kingdom. Even if some people never
handled these coins, they were possibly have heard aboyt
them? This is an extremely important and
significant Anglo-Saxon gold coin as well being in remarkably good grade. See
the gold section
Provenance
ex
Sidney & Kenneth Harl collection...
Purchased
from J. Linzalone (Wolfsheet
Gallery) 16th October 2013 for US $9,100
Early Anglo-Saxon Silver Sceats
WSax-9055: Early Period Anglo-Saxon
Silver Sceat with Fantastic Beast. Series N, type 41b: obverse two standing
figures with very uneven arms, reverse a fantastic beast or monster, pellet
outlined, looking back over shoulder.
Abramson 52-40, S.R. 806. One of the better depictions of the monster
you'll come across in this series. £395
WSax-9103:
Choice
Anglo-Saxon Silver Portrait Sceat. Continental issue,
secondary phase, circa 710-60 AD.
Series R with bust on pyramid; reverse LOLLII in a square. Old tickets here. S.R. 813. These
Continental issues were widely used in Southern England, showing us that trade either side
of the North
Sea and English Channel was prolific. Pearl grey in colour, a
solid EF grade and thus choice.
£475
Provenance:
ex
PBJI Ancient Coins & Antiquities (sold for $750 over a decade ago)
WSax-9133:
Anglo Saxon
Silver Sceat. Primary phase, circa 675-760 AD, minted in various regions of
South-Eastern and Southern England.
Series B1.
Obverse: diademed head, supposedly wearing large hoop earrings, facing
right within a serpent circle; reverse: a bird atop a cross with annulets
either side. S.R. 777. It is interesting to note the Christian cross on the
reverse. In AD 595, Pope Gregory the Great chose Augustine
to lead a mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons of Britain to the Christian
faith. Augustine was most likely living
as a monk in Rome at the time.
He duly arrived on these shores in AD 597: Æthelberht of Kent
became the first Anglo-Saxon king to be baptised, around AD 600. He in turn
imposed Christianity on Saebert of Essex and Rædwald of East Anglia. Augustine (later Saint Augustine) was recorded by Bede as really only talking to the top end of English
society. Columba
and Aiden were the other two recorded in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People
who were on a mission to convert Britons to Christianity. Columba was slightly
earlier than Augustine but alas he only focused on Iona in Scotland.
Aiden was the most effective, according to Bede, as although he set up the Lindesfarne
Monastery (later to be targeted so infamously by the Vikings), he went out and
about, spreading the Gospel to the common man in the street, and a great many
of them. However, he was much later,
around AD 634. These early Saxon coins
served three important purposes: to legitimise the king, to promote the
Christian faith to the populace and to facilitate trade. I suspect that was the correct order of
importance! £235
WSax-9134:
Anglo Saxon
Silver Sceat. Primary phase, circa 675-760 AD, minted in the central River Thames
region of England.
Series F, circa 700-10 AD.
Obverse: crude bust, right, wearing an unusual headdress with a
Christian cross behind; reverse: another cross, this time atop a couple of
steps with an annulet above. Many
old tickets. S.R. 781. It is interesting to note the Christian cross both
sides. In AD 595, Pope Gregory the Great chose Augustine
to lead a mission to convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons of Britain to the Christian
faith. Augustine was most likely living
as a monk in Rome at the time.
He duly arrived on these shores in AD 597: Æthelberht of Kent
became the first Anglo-Saxon king to be baptised, around AD 600. He in turn
imposed Christianity on Saebert of Essex and Rædwald of East Anglia. Augustine (later Saint Augustine) was recorded by Bede as really only talking to the top end of English
society. Columba
and Aiden were the other two recorded in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People
who were on a mission to convert Britons to Christianity. Columba was
slightly earlier than Augustine but alas he only focused on Iona in Scotland.
Aiden was the most effective, according to Bede, as although he set up the Lindesfarne
Monastery (later to be targeted so infamously by the Vikings), he went out and
about, spreading the Gospel to the common man in the street, and a great many
of them. However, he was much later,
around AD 634. These early Saxon coins
served three important purposes: to legitimise the king, to promote the
Christian faith to the populace and to facilitate trade. I suspect that was the correct order of
importance! £495
Kings of Northumbria Saxon Coins
WSax-7842: Kings of Northumbria Saxon
Silver Styca or Penny. Eanred, 810-30 (although the reign lasted until AD 841), moneyer Eadwine. Base silver regal issue, phase 1, S.R. 860. A really nice example - the much rarer
earlier silver variety (we are now regularly seeing base Stycas
selling for well in excess of £100) and excellent grade. £395
WSax-7843: Kings of Northumbria Saxon
Silver Sceatta or Penny. Eadberht, 737-58. Phase A silver regal issue, class Bi, S.R. 847. A "fantastic" quadruped (currently
thought to be a stylised stag), left. Rare. £465
WSax-7948:
Kings of
Northumbria Anglo-Saxon Styca. Late Styca coinage
D - the Archiepiscopal issues: Archbishop Wigmund of York, AD 837-49/50. The moneyer is Coenred. The styca followed
on from the earlier silver sceat issues during the
Anglo-Saxon period, becoming increasingly debased; devolving from silver, to
silver alloys, to copper alloys. An
illustration as to just how powerful these clerics were lies in the gold solidus (S.R. 863A), issued by Wigmund
(it being the only gold coin issued in the entire Saxon period, other
than the King Coenwulf gold penny and the much
earlier Thrymsas), potentially as an ecclesiastical gift,
at about the time of this coin. £165
WSax-8025: Kings of Northumbria Saxon
Silver Styca - Regal Issue. Eanred with HVAETRED as money.
base or billon silver issue. S.R. 860. Total reign of Eanred 810-41 with this
coin being struck very early on in that reign due to the excellent silver
content. Pleasing grade with the
moneyer particularly clear. £245
Middle Saxon
"Hammered Silver" Issues
King Offa (757 – 796): Read about King Offa
WSax-7451: Middle Saxon OFFA PORTRAIT
Hammered Silver Penny. Light coinage,
c.780-96, London mint, moneyer Ciolhard, S.R. 905. This S.R.
reference encompasses many different reverses, this one being termed a Serpent
reverse – North 317. Slightly
porous with a large die flaw on the obverse, chipped edge. Larger flan (17mm), VF
grade and very rare. £2,995
WSax-9144:
Outstanding
Middle Saxon OFFA PORTRAIT Hammered Silver Penny. Kings of Mercia. Light coinage, c.780-96, London mint,
moneyer IBBA, S.R.905 This reference
encompasses many different reverses, this one being termed a Floriate cross with lozenge centre reverse – North
301. Many historians regard Offa as the
most powerful Anglo-Saxon king before Alfred the Great. His dominance never
extended to Northumbria, though he gave his
daughter Ælfflæd in marriage to the Northumbrian king
Æthelred I in 792. Historians once saw his reign as
part of a process leading to a unified England but more recent thinking,
including that by the historian Simon Keynes, sums up the king's reign thus: "Offa was driven by a lust for power, not a vision of
English unity; and what he left was a reputation, not a legacy," which actually makes Offa sound like a
quite good ruler when compared to what came before and definitely what came
after! Weight 1.01 grams. Graded GVF on the old ticket
- outstanding edges, high grade with slight porosity, commensurate
with a field-find of this age.. Note that we don't have usual crystallisation
of the silver alloy that is normally seen on these early issues. A superb example. £4,250
Alfred The Great (871-899):
WSax-7819:
Choice Alfred
the Great Middle Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. Kings of Wessex Lunettes type, first coinage,
AD 871-75. Lyons & Mackay type A but a variant thereof being IA with dies A/a. Moneyer Dunn, Canterbury mint - MON DVNN
ETA. Diademed and draped bust
right, +AELBRED REX. 1.22g. S.R. 1057, North
625. A little unevenly toned but other
than that, by far the best example I've ever seen with a good, strong no issues
edges and a grade rapidly approaching EF.
Find better! RESERVED
WSax-8103: Alfred the Great Middle
Saxon Hammered Silver PORTRAIT Penny.
Kings of Wessex Lunettes type, first coinage, AD 871-75. Lyons & Mackay type AfL
1.8 (this coin). Moneyer
Rosa, probably Canterbury mint, although London was also a mint
at the time for this issue - MON ROSA ETA. Diademed and draped bust right, +AELBRED REX. 1.41g. S.R. 1057, North 625. Toned and completely problem-free, which in itself is a rare thing with these often crystallized,
middle period coins. Long
provenance - see here. About VF and rare thus. £6,995
Provenance:
ex SNC (1967
- £100)
ex Lessen collection
ex DNW (2018)
ex Mike Hallam
collection
WSax-9145:
Extraordinarily Nice ALFRED
the Great PORTRAIT Middle Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. Kings of
Wessex unbroken lunettes type, first coinage, AD 871-75. Diademed and draped bust right, +AELBRED REX. Rarer moneyer ELBERE (AELFHERE) of Canterbury (possibly London) mint - MON ELBERE ETA. Weight
1.05g. S.R. 1057, North
625. Alfred the Great, circa 849-26 October 899, was King of
the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons
from 886 until his death in 899. He was
the youngest son of King Æthelwulf. Three of Alfred's
brothers, Æthelbald, Æthelberht
and Æthelred, reigned in turn before him. Under Alfred's
rule, considerable administrative and military reforms were introduced,
prompting lasting change in England. Outstanding edges, high grade with some
surface patchiness commensurate with a field-find of this age. Note that we don't have usual crystallisation
of the silver alloy that is normally seen on these early issues. A superb example. £4,350 RESERVED (M.S.12-5-24 Lay-Away)
Provenance:
Found
Saffron Waldron (recorded E.M.C 2024.0184)
Viking Coinage
WSax-9154:
Excessively
Rare Viking Hammered Silver HALFPENNY.
Coinage of the Viking Kingdom of York - St Peter Memorial two line horizontal type HALF penny. Phase 2, circa 910-920. Obverse: SCIIITRIM in two lines with three horizontal
pellets separating; crosses above and below.
Reverse: EDORACE CI around a central Cross Pattée. The legends in this phase are very blundered and the coins are of a lighter weight. S.R.1008, North 554. The St. Edmund memorial coinage, struck during
the Viking period in East Anglia (circa 895-918 AD), were silver pennies issued
in the Danelaw (not to be confused with Danegeld,
which came nearly 100 years later), a region under Viking control. These coins
commemorated St. Edmund, the King of East Anglia who was martyred in 869. Chipped
but still of the highest rarity. £1,395 RESERVED (L.A.S.30-6-25
Lay-Away)
Provenance:
ex
Spink 74
ex Norweb 39
ex Tim
Owen (his ticket)
Late Saxon "Hammered Silver" Issues
Aethelred II
(978-1016): Read about Aethelred
II
WSax-7452: Aethelred II Late Saxon
Hammered Silver Penny. B.M.C. IIIa, Crux type, c.991-97. S.R. 1148. +LEOFSTAN MO HAM – Rarer Northampton mint. Of the x64 Northampton mint Aethelred II coins (all
types) recorded on the EMC database, only x6 are Crux and only one Crux penny
is Leofstan. A rarer mint for type and a very rare moneyer. £645
WSax-7453: Aethelred II Late Saxon
Hammered Silver Penny. B.M.C. IIIa, Crux type, c.991-97. S.R. 1148. +AELFPINE M-O PELIG – Rarer Wallingford mint. Of the x77 Northampton mint Aethelred II coins (all
types) recorded on the EMC database, only x38 are Crux and only x4 Crux pennies
are Aelfwig. Old collection toning, wavy flan. Ex Richard Basler collection.
A rarer mint and a very rare moneyer for type. £645
WSax-6425: Aethelred II Hammered
Silver Saxon Penny – Rarer Mint. B.M.C.
IIIa. Late
Saxon, 991 - 997AD. Crux type. Totnes mint
town. Moneyer AELFSTAN. S.R. 1148. Ex
Bonham’s auction 2006. Rarer mint. £475
WSax-8042:
Aethelred II
Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. B.M.C. IVa - Voided Long Cross type (997
- 1003), +AEÐELNOÐ M`O LINC. S.R. 1151. Moneyer Aethelnoth
at the Lincoln mint. The Unready, or more accurately,
the Unrede, deriving from the fact that Aethelred had
very little council that he could rely upon from his government - he inherited
the thrown upon the murder of his half-brother and was considered a weak leader
virtually from the outset. This was the period
where vast (and I do literally mean vast) quantities of silver coinage were
paid to Viking raiders in attempt to stop them doing what Vikings did. Danegeld was the tax levied upon the populace
in order to raise the "tribute" payments. Large hoards have been found in Scandinavia where the payments were taken home
and deposited in the Bank-of-Mother-Earth.
Peck marks on the reverse strongly indication that this was part of the
Danegeld. £375
WSax-7985:
Aethelred II
Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny - Rare Mint. B.M.C. IVa,
voided long cross type, AD 997-1003.
+AELFS TAN N MO LEIG - moneyer Aelfstan
working out of the Leicester mint town. A
rare mint and an even rarer moneyer with no examples of Aelfstan being recorded for Aethelred II B.M.C. IVa on the excellent EMC database. Good provenance, being ex Steve Green
collection, ex A.William collection (acquired Spink,
2019), ex Spink Numismatic Circular 1997.
Rare. Addendum: The reason there are no examples
of this moneyer working out of Leicester on the EMC database is because he
wasn't! The mint signature LEIG is for Chester, not Leicester.
Guilty as charged for blindly believing what is on old tickets, even big
name tickets! Thank you to Melvyn
Churchill in the States for pointing it out.
£675
WSax-9068: Aethelred II Late Saxon
Hammered Silver Penny - Rarer Mint. B.M.C.
IVa, voided long cross type, AD 997-1003. S.R. 1151. +MANNA M`O
EAXE - moneyer Manna working out of the Exeter mint town. A rarer mint and an even rarer moneyer with very
few examples being recorded for Aethelred II B.M.C. IVa
on the excellent EMC database - Wynsige and Dunstan proliferate.
Good provenance - tickets here. Surface stress crack to obverse only. Rare. £550 RESERVED (J.K.20-1-25 Lay-Away)
Provenance:
ex T.
Matthews, sold in 1986 to...
ex Haddenham collection, dispersed...
ex
Spink
Cnut (1016-1035): Read
about Cnut.
WSax-7736: Cnut
Late Saxon Hammered Silver Rare Mint Penny.
B.M.C. VIII - Quatrefoil
type (1017-23), +EDRIC O TANTV. S.R. 1157. Taunton mint. In 1014 the Danish fleet proclaimed Cnut
king of England but the natives thought otherwise
and he was forced to leave.
Interestingly, this shows Aethelred as not a subservient and weak
monarch; rather a decisive, fighting monarch.
Perhaps the potential loss of his thrown was a bridge too far?! Aethelred's son, Eadmund Ironside, continued the
defiance towards the Vikings but upon his death on 1016, Cnut
became undisputed king of England , a position which Cnut firmly consolidated a year later by marrying Emma of
Normandy, Aethelred's widow. History suggests that Emma and Cnut's marriage, though begun as a political strategy,
became an affectionate affair. During their marriage, Emma and Cnut had a son, Harthacnut, and a daughter, Gunhilda. An
extremely rare mint coin. Sold with old
tickets (see here):
ex Doubleday 6-10-87 (£370), ex Rasmusson 2017
(£1,675). A very rare
coin. £2,195
WSax-6334: Cnut Late Saxon Hammered
Silver Penny. B.M.C. XVI -
Short cross type (1029-35/6), “+BLACAMAN O SNO”. S.R. 1159. Nottingham mint. In 1014 the Danish fleet proclaimed Cnut
king of England but the natives thought otherwise
and he was forced to leave.
Interestingly, this shows Aethelred as not a subservient and weak
monarch; rather a decisive, fighting monarch.
Perhaps the potential loss of his thrown was a bridge too far?! Aethelred's son, Eadmund Ironside, continued the
defiance towards the Vikings but upon his death on 1016, Cnut
became undisputed king of England , a position which Cnut firmly consolidated a year later by marrying Emma of
Normandy, Aethelred's widow. History suggests that Emma and Cnut's marriage, though begun as a political strategy,
became an affectionate affair. During their marriage, Emma and Cnut had a son, Harthacnut, and a daughter, Gunhilda. An
extremely rare mint coin. Ex Cnut hoard of 1993, ex Sharp collection, ex Baldwins, ex Spink, ex Lord Stewartby collection. Sold
with three tickets (two
shown here). A
very rare coin. £1,995
WSax-8044:
Cnut Late Saxon
Hammered Silver Penny. B.M.C. XVI - Voided Short Cross type
(1029 - 1035/6), +ELFSIGE ON LENC. S.R. 1159. Chester mint. Following on from Danegeld under Aethelred, Cnut was actually the son of King Swein of Denmark - a Viking and a Viking of some
repute. In 1014 the Danish fleet
proclaimed Cnut king of England but the natives thought otherwise
and he was forced to leave.
Interestingly, this shows Aethelred as not a subservient and weak
monarch; rather a decisive, fighting monarch.
Perhaps the potential loss of his thrown was a bridge too far?! Aethelred's son, Eadmund Ironside, continued the
defiance towards the Vikings but upon his death on 1016, Cnut became undisputed
king of England , a position which Cnut firmly
consolidated a year later by marrying Emma of Normandy, Aethelred's
widow. History suggests that Emma and Cnut's marriage, though begun as a political strategy,
became an affectionate affair. During their marriage, Emma and Cnut had a son,
Harthacnut, and a daughter, Gunhilda. I've
managed to once again murder the quality of the coin through my non-existent
photographic skills and complete ineptitude at using a so-called hi spec
camera, so I've included a cheap camera phone image taken in not the best of
lighting, which actually is much more representative. Rarer mint
town. £435
Harold I
(1035-1040): Read about Harold I
WSax-7739:
Harold 1st
Harefoot Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. Jewel
Cross type, B.M.C. 1, Spring 1036-38.
Rarer Leicester mint.
Obverse diademed bust left, +HAROLD RE; reverse jewel cross of x4 ovals,
+PVLSTAN ON LEHR – moneyer Wulfstan struck at the
Leicester mint. 1.08g. S.R. 1163, North 802. Same dies as SCBI 18 – Copenhagen: 200. Harold wasn’t officially king in 1036 - Harold
was elected regent of England following the death of his father
in 1035. He initially ruled England in place of his brother
Harthacnut, who was stuck in Denmark due to a rebellion in Norway.
It was not until 1037 that Harold, supported by earl Leofric
and many others, was officially proclaimed king. If you’re in the market for trivia, the term Harefoot is said to mean “fleet of foot”. Harold died at Oxford on 17 March
1040, just
as Harthacnut was preparing an invasion force of Danes, and was buried at
Westminster Abbey. His body was subsequently exhumed, beheaded, and thrown into
a fen bordering the Thames when Harthacnut assumed the throne in June 1040. The Saxon kings were not ones to hide their
feelings about people, even blood relatives!
A rarer Midland’s mint town – it probably won’t surprise you to learn
that there are only four recorded examples of this moneyer / type combination,
including this coin, with two being in institutions and a third sold on the
open market in 2016. The EMC / SCBI
database records all four examples. GVF with original old cabinet toning. Ex York Coins (early 2000’s, ticket price
$2,250, ex Leja Park Collection, Ex Spink. Tickets
here.
An extremely rare coin with much eye appeal. £2,195 RESERVED (J.K.31-5-24 Lay-Away)
WSax-7896:
Harold 1st Late
Saxon Hammered Silver Penny.
Fleur-de-lis type, B.M.C. V, Spring 1038-40. London mint.
Obverse armoured and
diademed bust left, +HAROLD REC R; reverse voided long cross with
fleur-de-lis between two pellets: +BRINTNER ON LV – moneyer Brintner
struck at the London mint. 0.96g. S.R. 1165. Harold was elected regent of England following the death of his father
in 1035. He initially ruled England in place of his brother
Harthacnut, who was stuck in Denmark due to a rebellion in Norway.
It was not until 1037 that Harold, supported by earl Leofric
and many others, was officially proclaimed king. If you’re in the market for trivia, the term Harefoot is said to mean “fleet of foot”. Harold died at Oxford on 17 March
1040, just
as Harthacnut was preparing an invasion force of Danes, and was buried at
Westminster Abbey. His body was subsequently exhumed, beheaded, and thrown into
a fen bordering the Thames when Harthacnut assumed the throne in June 1040. The Saxon kings were not ones to hide their
feelings about people, even blood relatives!
Possibly an ex hoard coin, now beginning to re-tone. Very nice grade. £1,465
Harthacnut
(1040-1042)
WSax-9140:
Harthacnut Hammered
Silver Saxon Penny. In the name of
Harthacnut (+HARDECNVT), Danish voided long cross issue: +SV ME RLE LON - Lund mint. S.R. 1170. Harthacnut was the only legitimate heir of Cnut but Harthacnut, unable to be in England to claim the throne until five
years after his father's death in 1035, arrived to find Harold (an illegitimate
son of Cnut) had secured the kingdom for
himself. In the very early years of
Harold's reign, Wessex was held by Cnut's
wife against Harold, for Harthancut, but by 1037
Harold had taken control of even that.
In 1040, Harold died and Harthacnut took the throne (albeit briefly as
he too died young), with no bloodshed whatsoever. This coin dates from Harthacnute's
sole reign period of 1040-42 and although minted in Denmark, was circulated in England.
A rare coin from a most interesting period in England's history.
Struck using somewhat rusty dies but ultimately, toned
and VF in grade. £1,765
Provenance:
ex US
collection, purchased from ...
Pegasi
Numismatics for $2,750
ex
Spink
Edward the
Confessor (1042-1066): Read about Edward
The Confessor.
WSax-5502: Edward The Confessor Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. Late Saxon – pyramids type (1065-66). B.M.C. XV. Stafford - GODSPINE. Extra image added here. Very rare mint town. £1,095
WSax-8046:
Edward The Confessor Late Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. B.M.C. IX - Sovereign / Eagles type
(1056 - 1059), +BRVNGAR ON LVNDEF. S.R. 1181. London mint,
which is different to the usual York mint Sovereign
/ Eagles that you see. Edward was the son of Aethelred
II and Emma of Norway so Cnut was Edward's step father; Cnut having sent Edward
to live in Normandy under the tutelage of Emma's
brother during Cnut's lifetime - some 25 years. Edward was know as
"Confessor" due to his extreme piety, although the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle portrayed him not as a saint but as a strong king. Interestingly, the perhaps biased Anglo-Saxon
Chronicles aside, he was remembered through history as a devout weakling; too obsessed
with the matters of the spirit to cope with the real world. This was probably
because his death led directly to the Conquest and to the fact that, despite
being married to one of the most beautiful women in the country, he had no
children by her. An interesting feature
of the reverse is the coin-shaped semicircle, indicating that this coin has
possibly been in contact with another coin for a lengthy period of time. +BRVNGAR ON LVNDEF is an unrecorded
moneyer
for B.M.C. IX on the excellent EMC database, there being only x13 coins in
total recorded: x8 PACX, x2 Small Cross and x3 Pointed Helmet types. No Sovereign / Eagles type at all for this
moneyer. This single coin now extends
the length of time Brungar was active at the mint by
further three years. A
rare coin. £895
WSax-9036: Pedigreed Edward the
Confessor Hammered Silver Penny. Pointed helmet type, B.M.V. VII, circa 1053-6. +GODRIC ON LEHER - Leicester mint. S.R. 1179. Only x2 examples recorded on the EMC
database; only one of which is GODRIC (same dies). An exceptionally rare type coin coupled with
a rare mint town. Old
tickets here and here. Better than VF and with an impressive
provenance portfolio dating back to over 100 years ago. £1,885
Provenance
Ex Stanley Gibbons
Ex Baldwins (2011 - sold for £1,250)
Ex E.W. Danson (2005)
Ex B.W.
Hunt (dispersed by Spink in 1955 for £3,10.0)
Ex Duke of
Argyll collection (dispersed by Spink in 1949)
Ex E.H.
Wheeler (dispersed by Seaby, 1931
Ex Major
P.W.C. Carlyon-Britton (dispersed Wheeler in 1918 for
£2.12.0)
Harold II (1066
only): Read
about Harold II ("Last of the Saxons")
WSax-7931:
Harold II Godwinson Final Anglo-Saxon Hammered Silver Penny. PAX type, B.M.C. 1: +MANPINE.ON.DOVER - Manwine as money at the Dover mint. H. Pagan "The Coinage of Harold II"
p.191, North 836, S.R. 1186. The money
is actually a recorded moneyer but for this exact coin only, ie this is the
only recorded example. The obverse
depicts a unique portrait of Harold II - triple banded crown together with
distinctive and better executed beard and hair.
Found Peasenhall
(a small village in East Suffolk) and
fully recorded on the EMC database. H. Pagan in his 1990 "Studies
in Late Anglo-Saxon Coinage" discusses this same coin in his The Coinage
of Harold II section. It is interesting
to note that there are only x4 Dover Harold II coins recorded on the database -
a cut half, this one and two others. Of
the other three, none have sceptres - very much a southern characteristic. And yet this coin does? Was this coin perhaps specially minted to
commemorate Harold's famous victory at Stamford Bridge?
Ironic if so because just three weeks later, Hastings happened.
It is interesting to note that a commoner mint, together with a much
less appealing portrait of Harold II has just sold through Spink for in excess
of £10,000 - see link
here. The famous Braintree Hoard of
late Anglo-Saxon pennies was 122 in total.
When Noonan's sold the hoard, there were only two Dover examples in the
sale, neither of which was this rarer depiction of Harold, with final prices on
those two coins at just under £12,000 and £6,500.
Both were CINSTAN moneyer and both without sceptre, making this
"with sceptre" example all the rarer.
This coin likely a unique example at this point in
time. £8,650
WMH-8998:
Harold II Godwinson Norman Hammered Silver VERY RARE MINT Penny. PAX type, crowned head left with
sceptre, B.M.C. 1, PAX type, S.R. 1186.
Harold Godwinson lasted just 10 months on the
throne of England (6th January -
14th October 1066) after falling at the Battle of Hastings and effectively ending the
Saxon rule of Britain.
+SIDEMAN ON PAI - the Wareham mint. Warehan is in Dorset, lying on the bank of the River
Frome with Poole situated just over the Wareham
Channel. It was a thriving port in Saxon
times and is mentioned in the Burghal Hadage. Immediately
post Norman conquest, barely months later in 1067, the
town was literally devastated by William 1st.
It finally ceased being a mint town during the Civil War of
Stephen. With zero Harold II Wareham
mint examples on the EMC / SCBI database (and that is a vast National database
undertaking, always growing, with entries going back 100+ years, taken from
antiquarian publications such as the Catalogue of English Coins in the
British Museum [my copy is 1916] etc), zero examples in the recent
Braintree Hoard of x122 Harold pennies (and there were some similarly
excessively rare mints contained in that hoard), we begin to see just have rare
a coin this is. Going slightly further
back, the Chew Valley Hoard of 2019, which is the biggest hoard of Harold II
coins ever found by a country mile (1,236 coins of Harold II and 1,310 coins of
William I), contained only x3 Harold II Wareham examples. This tiny amount is all the more remarkable
when you consider that Wareham is really not that far south of
the Chew Valley, it being just over the border in Somerset.
If the Chew Valley hoard is declared Treasure by the coroner (and I
honestly can't imagine for one single second that it won't be), the Roman Baths
& Pump Room in Bath have expressed a strong interest in acquiring the entire
hoard for their collection - Chew Valley lying close to Bath - presumably at
some point to be put on display there.
Bluntly, those x3 Wareham coins will never be in private
ownership. Back further still, we have
the 1990 publication, The Coinage of Harold II by the renowned
Harold Pagan - the seminal work on Harold Godwinson
of its time, and still referenced widely in numismatic circles today. In all his research, Harold Pagan could only
locate a single Wareham mint example. Some 35 years on from that publication, the
location of that single Wareham coin has become unknown. There are clearly no Harold II Wareham mint
coins available anywhere else on the planet but a quick browse of the internet
yields a William 1st Sword type penny, GODWINE of Wareham, at £5,000 (there are
x34 of that monarch / mint on the EMC / SCBI database), a Stephen Watford type,
ROGER of Wareham penny at £2,950 (there are x6 of that monarch / mint on the
EMC / SCBI database), another William I Penny, profile left type, AEGELRIC of Wareham
at £7,500 etc. In summary, Wareham is a very rare mint but for Harold
II, excessively so. If you need one for
your collection, you're not going to get any of the three Chew Valley examples and as we don't even know
the location of Harold Pagan's lone example, that's looking equally
unlikely. £8,850
