This weeks fresh listings:
This page is to be updated every
Tuesday and will contain all the latest Coin,
Medal & Token listings for that particular week.
Most sold coins are now
accessible via a new link on the front (index) page category grid.
Additions to www.HistoryInCoins.com
for week commencing Tuesday 21st July 2026
This
week - an excellent Elizabeth 1st shilling that would normally be the star of
the Fresh Listing's show...
but
it is well and truly eclipsed by one of the best grade COVENRTY mint groats
you'll ever see. Simply
superb.
However,
neither of those two impressive entries come close to
the magnificent Alfred the Great pairing on offer this week!!
WSax-9380: Choice Alfred The Great Hammered
Silver Post-Guthram Penny. Third coinage, late "Edward
the Elder" type, 880-899 but very much towards the end of the reign, with
the obverse legend arranged in three rather than four groups - AEL FRE DRE
(Alfred Rex or Alfred King). This type is a neater version of the same but
earlier Guthram two line type. In 878, Alfred and Guthram
the Dane divided the country, with Alfred holding all England south and west of the Roman Watling
Street. Alfred asserted
over-lordship of Mercia and London from around 880. This coin would have been struck towards the
end of Alfred's reign. It is interesting
to note that this late "Edward the Elder" type is named after a coin that Alfred's son
issued post 899. The reverse reads AŠEL
/ + / VLF
MO showing the moneyer to be Aethelulf. S.R.1067, North 639.
Alfred the Great was a deeply pious and intellectually gifted ruler,
known as much for his learning as for his leadership. Frequently described by
contemporaries as sickly, he ruled in spite of chronic illness, combining
personal humility with remarkable resilience. Though often styled the Father of
England, Alfred was never King of England itself, but King of Wessex, laying
the foundations of a unified realm through reform, education, and defence. A
thoughtful and reforming mind, his legacy is one of inspiration, scholarship,
and enduring statecraft. A superb example having perfect edges, wonderful toning, a
completely flat planchet and being of high grade. Old
tickets here. Coin Archives shows the Pelton
example (same type but moneyer Wulfred - of similar
grade but sometime cleaned) achieve a price of £5,267 after buyer's
commission. This is overall a better
coin than the Pelton example. You will not find better elsewhere. 
£4,875
Provenance:
ex Mark Senior (his ticket)
ex Tim Owen (his ticket
WSax-9381: Very Rare Alfred The Great Hammered Silver
VIKING IMMITATION Penny. Danelaw type - struck by the Vikings. In 878,
Alfred and Guthram the Dane divided the country, with
the Viking invaders gifted control of Eastern Mercia, including all territory east of
the Roman Watling Street.
Alfred asserted over-lordship of Mercia and London from around 880. Coinage issued in this area immediately after
this ceding in 880 imitated the Wessex types of Alfred. Independent Viking coinage was issued from
the early 880's, thus this Viking imitation of Wessex coinage was a very short-lived
affair. Obverse ELFRED
REX, with reverse Moneyer HERIBERT out of the Lincoln mint.
S.R.966, North 475/1, EMC database (this coin)
2019.0006, found Northwold, Suffolk in December 2018. Old
tickets here. The EMC entry gives North 475/1 as an
attribution, presumably based primarily on appearance (ie a two line coin) and
then the fact that although HERIBERT is not recorded under the list of North
475/1 moneyers, die sinkers also used genuine Wessex moneyers, either verbatim or
blundered. One or two Wessex moneyers would perhaps fit that
blundered conjecture - HEREFERTH, HEREMOD, HEREMVND, etc. However, we have firm research that HERIBERT,
the Danelaw moneyer on this coin, was working out of
the Lincoln mint (see North 469-470). Neither of those examples fit this coin but
perhaps this coin is a part of that wider family? To further muddy the waters, there are
several examples of North 475/1 on the EMC database with HERIFERŠ
as moneyer. Whilst this coin clearly has
a B where the HERIFERŠ has an R, might this be one and the same moneyer? A most interesting coin,
not to mention incredibly rare.
Find another! £975
Provenance:
Found Northwold, Suffolk in December 2018
Recorded
EMC database very early 2019
ex P.Palmer collection
ex Jon Mann, the excellent numismatic researcher (his
ticket along with x2 others)
WMH-9382: Edward IV RARE MINT
Hammered Medieval Silver Silver Groat. Provincial COVENTRY issue, light coinage, type IV, 1464 1470: this mint
was only operational for x72 days right at the start
of the Light Coinage, so c.1464. Quatrefoils by neck, C on breast, initial mark
Sun, S.R. 2008. Strongly toned with a
weight indicating no clipping, rather a slightly irregular planchet. See old tickets here. Excellent reverse mint signature and really,
of the four examples I have had in the last 30 years, easily the best. Much rarer than S.R.
suggest. £695
Provenance:
ex DNW 63, Oct 2004
ex CNG inventory, Nov 2004
ex David C. Bianchi collection
WTH-9383: Elizabeth 1st Hammered
Silver Tudor Shilling. Sixth Issue, Tower (London) mint, initial mark Woolpack, bust
6B, S.R. 2577.
The sixth issue was 1st February 1583 through to 20th
May 1601
with Woolpack being 9th May 1594 to 13th
February 1596,
so just under two years in operation.
The shilling had stopped being struck at the cessation of the second
issue in 24th October 1561, meaning a 22 year hiatus until it
reappeared due to the old shillings from the first and second issues being worn
by this point. Interestingly, towards
the end of the century there was a bad economic depression and as a result,
mint output decreased dramatically, resulting in a dearth of unused dies,
although the shilling was issued right up until the end of the reign. That depression would certainly have been
upon the country at the time of this coin (1594-6) thus the number of coins
leaving the mint, and by association, the number of extant coins today, would
be much lower than the norm. Another
interesting point (well, I find it interesting!) is that in 1593, just a year
before this coin was issued but probably at just about the time this coin's
dies were being sunk, a new engraver took over at the mint. Derick Anthony had
been engraver at the mint for 30 years and in 1589 had brought his son to the
mint as apprentice. Charles officially
took over from his father in 1593. The
son's dies can be distinguished from those of his father's by their more
elaborate and florid style, although it should be pointed out that this was a
gradual deviation from the style of his father.
A large, generous full flan coin with lovely toning as
well as being in excellent grade.
An exceptionally pleasing example. £695
