Anglo-Saxon coinage from 828

[Deeman]

Æthelred II the Unready 978-1013 & 1014-16



Æthelred II began his reign with the small cross type silver penny which his father, Edgar, had introduced as part of a major reform of the English coinage system in 973. A diademed bust facing left, in an inner circle with three small pellets on the left, is circumscribed by the inscription +ÆÐELRE + AELON (Æthelred King of the English), with +GRIND M-O LINEC (Grind the Moneyer, Lincoln mint) as a reverse inscription around a small cross pattée. These pennies were minted for no more than two years.




980-85 silver penny with an obverse inscription + ÆÐELRÆD REX ΛNGLO (Æthelred King of England) around a diademed bust facing right and, on the reverse, + COLGRIM M–O EOFE (Kolgrimr, moneyer, Eoferwic - York) around a depiction of the Hand of God (Manus Dei) descending from the clouds, with an uppercase alpha with overbar (Ā) to the left and a lowercase omega (ω) with overbar to the right.




Late 980s to mid-990s silver penny with an obverse inscription +ÆÐELRÆD REX ΛNGLORX (Æthelred King of England) around a bareheaded bust facing left with sceptre in front and, on the reverse, +BYRHTNOÐ M–O ǷINT (Beorhtnoth, moneyer, Winchester mint) around a voided short cross with a pellet at the centre and with the letters C R V X in the angles of the cross (crux).
('Ƿ' is 'W' in the Runic alphabet.)




Mid-990s to 1003 silver penny with an obverse inscription +ÆĐELRÆD REX ΛNGLOX (Æthelred King of England) around a draped bust facing left and, on the reverse, + EΛD ǷOLD M·Ω·O CÆNT (Eadweald, moneyer, Canterbury mint) in the angles of a voided long cross with a pellet at its centre and a triple crescent at the end of each cross-bar.




1003-09 silver penny with an obverse inscription + ÆÐELRÆD REX ĀNGL with pellet after L (Æthelred King of England) around a helmeted and armoured bust facing left and, on the reverse, + BУRHSIGE M'Θ BARD (Birhsige, moneyer, Barnstaple mint) in the angles of a voided long cross with a pellet at the centre and a triple crescent at the end of each cross-bar; the cross is superimposed over a square with incurved sides and trefoil at each point.




1003-06 gold mancus with an obverse inscription + ÆÐELRÆD REX ΛIP (Æthelred King of England) around a helmeted and armoured bust facing left and, on the reverse, LEO FǷINE MOL ÆǷE (Leofwine, moneyer, Lewes mint) in the angles of a voided long cross with a pellet at the centre and a triple crescent at the end of each cross-bar; the cross is superimposed over a square with incurved sides and trefoil at each point.
Produced from the same dies used to strike silver pennies.




In Aug 1009 a huge Danish army under Torkell the Tall landed in Kent and began ravaging South-eastern England. It was in this context that Æthelred minted the Agnus Dei pennies. The obverse depicts the Agnus Dei (haloed Lamb of God with a cross) standing right, with AGN on a tablet below and the inscription + ÆÐELRÆD REX ANGLORVM (Æthelred King of England). The reverse depicts a dove flying upwards, with wings out-outstretched, around which is the inscription + EALDR· EDO NM ·ALDME (Ealdred, moneyer, Malmesbury mint).




1009-16 silver penny with an obverse inscription + ÆĐELRED REX AN (Æthelred King of England) around a diademed bust facing left and, on the reverse, + ǷVFNOÐ MO ÐEOD (Wolfnoth, moneyer, Thetford mint) around a short cross pattée with a smaller cross pattée at the end of each limb of the centre cross.

[Deeman]

Canute (Cnut) 1016-1035



1017-23 silver penny with an obverse inscription +CNVT REX ANGLORVI (Canute King of England) around a diademed draped bust facing left in a quatrefoil and, on the reverse, +SV-MER-LEDI-O DEO (Sumerlede, moneyer, Thetford mint) around a voided long cross with a pellet at the centre and a triple crescent at the end of each cross-bar; the cross is superimposed on a quatrefoil.




1024-30 silver penny with an obverse inscription +CNVT REX AN (Canute King of England) around a bust facing left wearing a pointed helmet with a trefoil-tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, + TIDRED ΘN ÐEΘDF (Tidræd, moneyer, Thetford mint) around a voided short cross, limbs united at base by two concentric circles with pellet at the centre; in each angle, a broken annulet enclosing pellet.




1029-35 silver penny with an obverse inscription + CNV– RECX (King Canute) around a diademed bust facing left with a trefoil-tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, + BRIHTMER ON LVN (Beorhtmær, moneyer, Lundene mint - London) around a voided short cross, with pellet at the centre.

[Deeman]

Harold I 1035-1040



1036-38 silver penny with an obverse inscription + HARO LD RE: (King Harold) around a diademed draped bust facing left and, on the reverse, +LEOFRED ON LVND: (Leofred, moneyer, London mint) around a lobed cross with central pellet; two inner linear circles unite lobes at centre.




1038-40 silver penny with an obverse inscription +HAROLD RECX (King Harold) around a bust facing left with sceptre in front and, on the reverse, BRV NST ANO NE (Brunstan, moneyer, Thetford mint) around a voided long cross with pellet in double annulet at the centre; in each angle a fleur-de-lis and two pellets.




1038-40 silver penny with an obverse inscription +HAR OLD RE (King Harold) around a diademed bust facing right with a trefoil-tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, + ǷI ĐER INE O EO (Witherine, moneyer, York mint) around a voided long cross with pellet in double annulet at the centre; in each angle a fleur-de-lis and two pellets.

[Deeman]

Hardicanute (Harthacnut) 1040-1042



Silver penny with an obverse inscription + HΛRÐΛ CNVT REX (King Harthacnut) around a diademed bust facing right with a trefoil-tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, + LIFINC ONN OCXEN (Lifinc, moneyer, Oxford mint) around a quadrilateral with pellet at each apex over a voided long cross with a central pellet.

[Deeman]

Copperplate print circa 1797. It shows a silver penny design for the last two Anglo-Saxon kings - Edward the Confessor and Harold II (as well as reigns up to Richard II).

[Deeman]

Edward the Confessor 1042-1066



1044-46 silver penny with an obverse inscription EDÞER D REX A (Edward King of England) around a diademed draped bust facing left and, on the reverse, EDPINE ON LIEPEE (Eadwine, moneyer, Lewes mint) around small cross pattée within inner circle.




1050-51 silver penny with an obverse inscription +EDPE RD REX (King Edward) around a diademed bust facing left with a cross pommée tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, +SPETM•AN ON LVND (Swetman, moneyer, London mint) around an expanding cross, limbs united at base by two concentric circles.




1053-56 silver penny with an obverse inscription +EDPE RD REI (King Edward) around a draped bust with pointed helmet facing right, holding a fleur-de-lis headed sceptre and, on the reverse, +BRID ON HÆSTING: (Brid, moneyer, Hastings mint) around a voided short cross with a triple crescent at the end of each cross-bar and a central annulet.




1056-59 silver penny with an obverse inscription EΛDPΛRD REX ΛNGL (Edward King of England) around the king seated, on throne, facing front, holding a sceptre in his right hand and a globus cruciger (cross-bearing orb) in his left. On the reverse the inscription + LEOFPINE ON LEIC (Leofwine, moneyer, Leigeceaster - Chester mint) around a voided short cross with a martlet in each quarter.




1059-62 silver penny with an obverse inscription +EDPARD RE (King Edward) around a diademed bust facing right with a cross pommée tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, +IOCTEL ON EOFR (Loketill, moneyer, York mint) around a voided short cross, each limb terminating in a curved line, and with an annulet in third quarter.




1062-65 silver penny with an obverse inscription EΛDǷARD REX Λ • (Edward King of England) preceded by a trefoil of pellets around a facing crowned bust and, on the reverse, + BVREDNE • ON PALI (Burgwine, moneyer, Waligaford mint - Wallingford) around a small cross pattée within inner circle.

[Deeman]

Harold II Jan-Oct 1066



Silver penny with an obverse inscription + HΛROLD REX ΛNG (Harold King of England) around a diademed bust facing left with a cross pommée tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, + PINVS ON PILTI (Winus, moneyer, Wilton mint) around PAX (peace) between beaded lines in a beaded circle.



Silver penny with an obverse inscription + HΛROLD REX ΛNGO (Harold King of England) around a diademed bust facing left with a trefoil-tipped sceptre in front and, on the reverse, +PVLGAR ON LVND (Wulfgar, moneyer, London mint) around PAX (peace) between beaded lines in a beaded circle.



Silver penny with an obverse inscription + HΛROLD REX ΛNG (Harold King of England) around a diademed bust facing left with a cross pommée tipped sceptre in front. Reverse inscription + DVNNING ON HÆ (Dunning, moneyer, Hastings mint) around PAX (peace) between beaded lines in a beaded circle. Extremely rare from this mint.

[Figleaf]

This is one superb thread, Deeman. Thank you! By concentrating on the kings and their clan fighting, you are painting a vivid, three-dimensional picture of a dynasty in decline. The bastard son of the duke of Normandy was the umpteenth adventurer trying to take over a complete kingdom and the only thing that separates him from the Bluetooths and the Forkbeards and what-have-you is success. Nevertheless, Hastings/Battle was an accident waiting to happen.

You were careful not to be clannist (Saxons versus Norseman and never the twain shall meet). I'll be more blunt. From the fall of Jorvik in 875, Norse and Saxon clan members were intermingling. Although Alfred started to assemble a unified state under Saxon leadership, large swaths of what is now the UK remained under local Norse (jarls of East Anglia) or Celtic (kingdom of Dublin, kings of York, Welsh kingdoms, Scotland) influence. Even the house of Wessex was imbued with Norse blood. Cultures had met in Christianity, to the point where the warriors from both sides in the Bayeux tapestry look so alike that they need sub-titles. In other words, in 1066, Norman bastards from greater Brittany lost to other Norman bastards from lesser Brittany.

This is nicely reflected in the fact that the documents written by Richard I (Coeur de lion) are in Occitan, an early version of French. As far as we know, Richard spoke little or no English. Speaking of him, it is quite likely that he was bi-sexual. I was once involved in a discussion where Richard's confession to sodomy was discussed. One of his close (male) friends apparently had to flee, because the church wouldn't have been so lenient with him as with the king. The same year, a monetarius popped up in a mint in a respectful distance South of London with the same first name. I can't retrieve the discussion now. I know the fugitive, a poet who wrote love poems to the king, is considered decent enough to have at least one French school named after him. I looked at Bertrand de Born, but it's not him. My point is, as little we know about the early Saxon kings, we know even less about their monetarii. Not even if they were "technicians", officials in charge of minting, "farmers", who bought the office for a certain period in order to make a profit, or just a title, given as a reward to high officials and church notables who got an income out of the mint.

Peter

[<k>]

Eric Gill's unadopted coin designs of 1925 also included the long cross.

They were inspired by the designs of the Anglo-Saxon coins.

Possibly the Royal Mint considered them too Anglocentric for the United Kingdom.

Image copyright of The Design Museum.

[Tirant]

Another superb thread, thanks a lot for your work and for sharing it!!

I cannot see the coins of Eadwig, it's my fault or the images have been removed?

[Deeman]

I cannot see the coins of Eadwig, it's my fault or the images have been removed?

They have been reinstated.

[Offa]

Brilliant thread, my favourite collection is my Saxon and Viking coins.

[Hastein]

The Norman victory was no accident and should not be construed as another one of those never-ending Viking raids on the English coast. It was the result of a carefully planned military expedition of joint Norman, Breton, Frankish and Flemish forces that took place in the context of an increasingly expansionary French nobility in the 11th century. One should not refer to Normans in Great Britain prior to the invasion either: the term is first used in reference to 9th century Norsemen making repeated incursions into France, and after their infeudation to the king in 911, to subjects of the duchy of Normandy. It is precisely this ethno-cultural absorption into the Frankish realm that allowed them to accomplish in England what other lords of like extraction were simultaneously carrying out in Spain, Portugal and Sicily.

[Figleaf]

Quite so. Norsemen is the generic term, Norman are the people of Normandy. However, the Duchy of Normandy was independent from the Frankish realm. At best, they were inspired by the French king. BTW, the Hautevilles were not confined to Sicily. They owned most of the South of Italy and at times Rome and parts of North Africa. I believe Spanish nobility was making incursions in the South of France, rather than the other way around. What's the story on Portugal?

Flemish warriors in Duke William's army is a bit of a stretch, since they already had a language problem with francophones, but maybe duke William's money overcame that obstacle?

Peter

[Hastein]

Hi Peter, appreciate the thoughtful reply. Allow me to expand on my comment with some minor digressions, if you don't mind the lengthy post. I would recommend reading the chronicles of Flodoard of Reims, Guillaume of Jumièges and Dudo of Saint-Quentin if you are interested in learning more about the early history of the duchy.

Because its creation followed a long-lasting policy of pacification and assimilation by the Carolingians, akin to what had previously been achieved in many other parts of the kingdom, it became politically expedient for the Normans to intermarry with the local nobility early on. As such it would be misleading to characterize a duchy seeking legitimacy with respect to both temporal and spiritual powers as independent. Within a few decades of their infeudation and conversion, the Normans became one of the most formidable allies of the crown against both external and internal threats. This alliance, though not without its own upheavals, played a major role in the very consolidation of power by William against internal rebellions thanks to the early support of the king, mirroring Rollo's assistance to Charles III against the Robertians 140 years earlier.

One must keep in mind that vassalage alone already entails a complex relationship that goes beyond legal formalities and mutual acknowledgment and which can transcend transitory conflicts. In Dudo's chronicle, the singular nature of this bond was perhaps best captured by Rollo himself:

"I wish to accord with the king and with the Franks, so let him come to the designated conference and redeem me, immersed in the fountain. Let him be as a father to me through paternal love, I will be as a son to him through filial love. Let him assist me, if need be, as a father does a son, I him, as a son does a father. Let him rejoice in my prosperity, let him be saddened by my adversity. Let whatever is in my power be his by right, and whatever is mine by right be in his power."

Soon, Rollo has placed his hands in the king's hands, something which neither his father nor his grandfather nor his great-grandfather had ever done for anyone. And so the king has given him his daughter, Gisla by name, as his wife, as well as the prescribed land from the river Epte to the sea, as a heritable estate and all of Brittany to live from.

By going through this commendation ceremony and its Christian sacraments, the Normans had not only begun to relinquish their ancestral customs, but embraced a new political order of Frankish origin. Illustrative of the magnitude of this transformation was the resistance displayed by some of the notoriously recalcitrant barons in the middle of the 10th century; see for example how the encroachment of Louis IV on the duchy, who had taken the young duke Richard I under his wing, prompted them to retaliate by calling upon thousands of Scandinavian troops with the eventual goal of converting the duke to paganism - an attempt which might have succeeded had it not been for the military intervention of the king. Similarly, it was the intercession of William Longsword that proved instrumental in Louis' return from exile in England and his accession to the throne of France. It was the joint campaigns of duke Richard II and king Robert II that allowed them to further their respective interests in Flanders and Burgundy in the early 11th century. I mention these examples to underscore the interdependence between the duchy and the crown leading up to the conquest, this despite equally intermittent conflicts, as it explains why William's army represented such a wide cross-section of northwestern and central France, with knights hailing from Maine, Anjou, Brittany, Flanders, Poitou and the region now known as Ile-de-France.

Regarding Spain & Portugal, I was referring to the similar expedition led by the two Burgundian knights who took control of its western kingdoms as part of Alfonso VI's reconquista, profoundly altering the administrative and ecclesiastical landscape of the peninsula in the process. From a nation building perspective, this endeavor was quite similar to what William had accomplished in England or the Hautevilles in Sicily: each of those conquests indeed took place at a pivotal moment of history, with the approval of the Pope, originating in a kingdom that had achieved relative stability compared to its neighbors, and which resulted in the projection of a successful model of administration rooted in the French monarchy. In this sense I thought it proper to provide some nuance to your characterization of the Norman conquest, which in my opinion was too restrictive and underemphasized the bigger picture.