The Kings & Coins of Anglo-Saxon Wessex

[Anaximander]

The Royal House of the West Saxons, or Wessex, is named in genealogy lists as the earliest antecedent of the long line of English Kings. Cerdic (494/514-534) is commonly cited as the first, but may be apocryphal (see Timothy Venning, The Kings & Queens of Anglo-Saxon England, Great Britain, 2013).  Wessex was among the heptarchy of kingdoms of the early Anglo-Saxon years, to borrow and twist a phrase used by @Nap in his post The Kings and Coins of Anglo-Saxon Mercia. Indeed, Mercia was the powerful northern neighbor. By the 8th century, Wessex was one of just four major kingdoms in England. 

  

Map courtesy of Wikipedia. 

The earliest regal coinage of Wessex is reportedly that of Beorhtric (786-802), son-in-law of Offa of Mercia. Two types are shown in JJ North's English Hammered Coinage, Vol. I, but searches for auction sales of that name will inevitably turn up a few later moneyers, and no King Beorhtric. None of his coins appear in the vast collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, at least not in their corpus, Medieval European Coinage, Vol 8, Britain and Ireland, c. 400-1066, by Rory Naismith (Cambridge, 2017). 

Ecgberht (802-839) threw off the yoke of the Mercian dominance, and it is his descendants are where you will find the silver pennies that defined the monetary issues of the Anglo-Saxon kings of Wessex. 

In this first installment, let's have a look at some of the coinage of Ecgberht, his son, Æthelwulf (839-858), and the four sons of Æthelwulf who, in turn, became kings of Wessex: Æthelbald (858-860), Æthelberht (860-865), Æthelred (865-871), and Alfred (871 to 886). 

    

Anglo-Saxon. Wessex, Ecgberht 802‑839AD AR Penny (1.06 gm, 19.4mm, 3h) of Winchester, 828-839 AD. Saxon monogram in center (an elaborate A surrounded by S-X-O-N) in a beaded border 🕇ECGBEO𐌲HT REX. / Short cross. 🞣TIDEMAN MONE (Tidman, moneyer). VF. Bt. Silbury Coins, 2014.  Spink SCBC 1041. Minor edge loss. Naismith (CSE 2011) W9ff. cf. North 589; SCBI 67 (BMC 2016) 1094-1095; Early Medieval Coin Finds (7 examples, e.g.  #2014.0317).

    

Anglo-Saxon. Wessex, Aethelwulf. 839-858. AR Penny (1.15 gm, 20.3mm, 3h) Dorobernia (Canterbury), 839-44. Coss pattée over cross of wedges in saltire.  🞧EhELVVLF RE:X. / Central circle with SΛX-ONIO-VM in three lines, outer legend ✠OSMVND MOͰETΛ (Osmund, moneyer, ligated NE). VF. CNG Auction 109 #876. Naismith C101q (same dies); North 596; Spink SCBC 1044. Toned, small striking split, some light deposits. Rare.

    

Anglo-Saxon. Wessex, Aethelberht. 858-65. AR Penny (1.19 gm, 20.8mm, 12h). Inscribed cross type (BMC i) of Canterbury. Diademed and draped bust right. 🞧ÆÐELBEΛRΗ͞ RЄX. Filagree border around head. / ✠SE∙FR:|EÐ | MO|N|E|T|⚻ in and around the arms of beaded cross (Sæferth / Selefreth moneyer). nEF. Bt. Silbury Coins, 2014.  Large edge chip. Ex-DNW 2014-06-11 #87; Bt G.A. Singer 1991. Naismith (CSE 2011) C199e (this coin); BMC 48; MEC 8217ff; North 620; SCBI 67 (BMC) 1284; Spink SCBC 1053.

   

Anglo-Saxon. Wessex, Alfred the Great. 871-890. AR Penny (1.54 gm, 21.4mm, 6h) Horizontal 2-line type (HB9 tpt) third coinage of London, 880‑899. 🞡ÆL|FR|ЄD|RE, small cross in inner circle. / EADV ჻ ∙ ⁖ VALD. (Eadwald moneyer). EF. Bt. Arthur Bryant Coins, Bloomsbury Coin Fair, 2014.  Spink SCBC 1066; MEC 1 1366; MEC 8 1272; North 636 or 637; SCBI 1 554. Cf. Spink 16019 #144. 

Yes, there remain gaps in my own collection. How is your collection? Please share! 

[rasiel]

That's a tough set to go after. Especially if one is aiming for portraits! I've been gunning after an Ecgberht but have been foiled over and over again.

I'm trying for a full set of monarchs from Ecgberht right up to Charles. Here's my virtual https://www.tantaluscoins.com/coins/grid27.php and physical https://youtu.be/mov53p_kptk

Here's my four earliest. Aethelred I, Aethelberht, Edward the Elder and Eadwig (non-portrait because hopeless otherwise!)

Rasiel 

 

 

Edited July 3 by rasiel

[John Conduitt]

3 hours ago, Anaximander said:

The earliest regal coinage of Wessex is reportedly that of Beorhtric (786-802), son-in-law of Offa of Mercia. Two types are shown in JJ North's English Hammered Coinage, Vol. I, but searches for auction sales of that name will inevitably turn up a few later moneyers, and no King Beorhtric. None of his coins appear in the vast collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, at least not in their corpus, Medieval European Coinage, Vol 8, Britain and Ireland, c. 400-1066, by Rory Naismith (Cambridge, 2017). 

There seem to be only three coins of Beorhtric, two with moneyer Ecghard and one with Peochthun. Two are in the British Museum (moneyers Ecghard and Peochthun). The Peochthun was found in Andover, bought by Lockett and Carlyon-Britton and given to the British Museum in 1955. The Ecghard in the British Museum was found in Sunbury in 1865, while the other was or is in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow and may have been found by 1611. (Some coin of Beorhtric certainly was, but it isn't clear whether it is the Glasgow coin or whether it still exists as a fourth coin).

They were once categorised as East Anglian (and still are by the British Museum), due to the link to Mercia. There doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence that they are from Wessex, although Andover is in Wessex and Sunbury is in Mercia not far from the Wessex border, while Peochthun (or Weochthun) may be the same one that struck coins for Egbert.

Edited July 4 by John Conduitt

[Edessa]

Nice coins!

British Anglo-Saxon. Kings of Wessex. Eadred, AD 946-955. AR Penny (22mm, 1.57g, 10h). Circumscription cross/Horizontal-Trefoil 1 (HT 1) type (BMC i). Uncertain mint in the Midlands or south; Asulfr, moneyer. Obv: Small cross pattée. Rev: OSVL/F MON in two lines; three crosses pattée between, trefoil above and below. Ref: CTCE –; cf. SCBI 34 (BM), 551 (Horizontal Trefoil-Cross); North 706; SCBC 1113. Ex CNG 112 (11 Sep 2019), Lot 810.

 

[Anaximander]

20 hours ago, John Conduitt said:

There seem to be only three coins of Beorhtric, two with moneyer Ecghard and one with Peochthun. Two are in the British Museum (moneyers Ecghard and Peochthun). The Peochthun was found in Andover, bought by Lockett and Carlyon-Britton and given to the British Museum in 1955. The Ecghard in the British Museum was found in Sunbury in 1865, while the other was or is in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow and may have been found by 1611. (Some coin of Beorhtric certainly was, but it isn't clear whether it is the Glasgow coin or whether it still exists as a fourth coin).

They were once categorised as East Anglian (and still are by the British Museum), due to the link to Mercia. There doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence that they are from Wessex, although Andover is in Wessex and Sunbury is in Mercia not far from the Wessex border, while Peochthun (or Weochthun) may be the same one that struck coins for Egbert.

Extreme rarity and a little controversy make for an interesting tale. The large A on North's first type, #558 (SCBI 974) harks to types of the East Angles.  North's second type, #559 (SCBI 975), has the Mercian ᗰ, on both sides of the coin. 

Edited July 4 by Anaximander

[Anaximander]

@rasiel does have high ambitions, collecting each of the monarchs of England. Yes, all of them. The coin grid (his first link) shows both what he has and, if you hover, what he's missing. Neat! Myself, I used a physical poster of the Coins of the Kings and Queens of England and replaced their coins with images of my own.  I stopped with the Tudors, as that largely coincides with the end of hammered coinage.

In Rasiel's coin grid, I'm not seeing the Danish line of kings (Svend Forkbeard, Cnut, Harthacnut, and Harold I). I also categorize them apart, as Anglo-Dane. Rasiel's Matilda space - and one of my want list items too- would be Empress Matilda (North 935-936) but could conceivably extend to the Queen consort of Stephen (North 891-895).   

The last of the kings of Wessex -before they became the kings of All England- was Edward the Elder (899-924). His son Æthelstan (924-939) united the lands of England under one king.  

  

Anglo-Saxon. Wessex, Edward the Elder. 899-924. AR Penny (1.55 gm, 22mm, 8h) Horizontal two line type (HT1), Midland North East (MNE) issue? Circumscription cross. ✠EADVVEARD REX. / ∴ ÆÐER ✠✠✠ ED MꙨ ∵ (Æthered moneyer, barred M) nEF. Bt Silbury Coins, Bloomsbury Coin Fair, 2013.  Spink SCBC 1087; Blunt CTCE 66, pl 2 #1; MEC 8 - ; North 649; PAS DOR-73C834. 

    

Anglo-Saxon. Æthelstan. 924-939. AR Penny (1.41 gm, 23.8mm, 6h). Horizontal two-line type (HT1) Circumscription cross. ✠ÆÐELSTΛN REX. / ∴ GISΓE ✠✠✠ MER ∵ (Gislemer moneyer, L inverted). nEF. Bt Arthur Bryant Coins, Bloomsbury Coin Fair, 2014.  Possibly unique for this moneyer.  cf. Spink SCBC 1089; MEC 8 #1416ff; North 668b.

[John Conduitt]

The Vikings are there?

It's a good list. There are a few areas where you get into opinion. It starts with Wessex but not the other Saxon Kingdoms. Although Wessex was perhaps the start of the 'English' line, it wasn't necessarily the strongest Saxon Kingdom before Alfred. It certainly wasn't during Offa's time.

Edward V is a bit awkward, as no silver coins are definitely his. Some coins of Aethelred II are thought to be Edmund Ironside in the same way, so you could add those. You might say Matilda wasn't even Queen of England, while Philip II of Spain was definitely King. Then you have Lady Jane Grey and Louis VIII (although they definitely had no coins). You might also say Henry VI and Edward IV should be there twice.

[Nap]

Nice collection, and I think Wessex definitely deserves its own topic!

I am missing coins of Beorhtric (of course) and Ecgberht.  Beorhtric is on the noncollectible list for me, along with a few other Saxon and Viking rulers not known outside of museums (Heaberht of Kent, Oswald of East Anglia, Hywell of Wales, and Guthfrith, Halfdan, and Harthacnut of Northumbria).  But all of those are still on my want list!

Here are some coins of Wessex-

Aethelwulf

 

Aethelberht

 

Aethelred I

 

Alfred

 

Edward "the Elder"

 

Aethelstan

 

As far as the one-for-every-monarch.. I am attempting this, for the British Isles from the Saxon times to now.  I believe I have a total of 112 different rulers, including monarchs from England, Ireland, and Scotland.  I think there are a total of 140 (some of which are noncollectible).  I have not included the Roman emperor overlords, which would be a large number of rulers from Claudius to Honorius, nor have I included Celtic, but eventually I might fit those in too.