Nap

My most recent coin- Penny of Edward the Confessor, king of England 1042-1066 Mint: Hertford Moneyer: Opi PACX long cross type, S.1171 O: +EDPARD .RECX: R: +EPII ON HEORT: I bought it because the dealer who sold it to me asked me to help with attribution- he usually does not trade in coins of this era and wanted to confirm the mint/moneyer attribution. I looked it up and then asked if it was available. It’s not my first coin of Edward, but it’s a type I didn’t have, and a slightly scarcer mint.

I have other plates which may be from different editions of Camden too and show other coins including Norman I believe. They’re hanging in my office- I’ll get a pic of them later for you.

Nah, it’s fine. I shared it publicly.

The second coin in this picture is interesting. It is not a silver coin all. Rather, it’s a gold thrymsa, of the “EAN” type. This coin, one of the first thrymsas discovered (almost 100 years before the Crondall hoard) is an extremely rare type. The illustration is by John White, who was himself a notorious coin forger! The EAN thrymsas are very rare. The one illustrated above hasn’t been seen since the 18th century. Four examples were found in the Crondall hoard. Two were found recently, one of which was found with other coins and is going through the treasure process, and the other one was a single find and is now in my collection. All known examples are from the same dies. I have a theory about the interpretation of the obverse but will save this for another time.

In the 1705 issue of Camden’s Britannia, a page of English coins was depicted, containing depictions of a number of copper Northumbrian stycas found at Ripon in 1695. These coins were in the collection of Archbishop John Sharp of York, an avid early collector who obtained the coins shortly after they were found. These coins stayed in the collection of the Sharp family for over 300 years, coming to auction in 2017. Here are two of the coins depicted, numbers 8 and 9, a styca of Eanred by moneyer Brother, and another of Aethelred II by moneyer Eardwulf. Unlike most of the drawings in coin books, which were somewhat more artistic than the coins themselves, the drawings of the stycas were true to life, and so identification of the actual coins is possible. I bought the plate from a bookseller some years ago, and the coins I obtained from the Sharp sale. I regret that I did not buy more in the sale- some of the stycas have resold for significantly more, as the provenance is awesome.

I guess that pic of the various sceatta types has gotten around. It’s mine 🙂

Great coins, and quite rare. Nothing is known of this Wigraed, or of the other name on these coins, Tilberht. These guys were probably the moneyers who made the coins, though it's not 100% certain. They could have been local magistrates. East Anglian history of this era is very minimally recorded, sometimes we are lucky if we have the name of the king, and that's about it. These (late?) coins of series R often look extremely debased, I know mine do. Here are examples of R10 (Wigraed) and R11 (Tilberht) While the Wigraed might benefit from some conservation, I will never touch it again. Some might remember this story I shared about it's narrow escape from the jaws of the garbage truck.

My first thought on your question "How to get started on Frankish kingdom collecting" was build up a nice war chest, find a rich uncle, or play the lottery! Frankish coins are no small feat! Merovingian coins are expensive and Carolingian coins are expensive! There are less expensive Carolingian coins. You can find coins of Louis the Pious, Charles the Bald, and Charles the Simple for under $200. But you would be hard pressed to find an authentic coin of Charlemagne for that price, and it would probably be in a wretched shape. Save up for a decent one. Keep an eye on listings on vcoins and ma-shops. Good luck and let us how the collection is doing!

You are putting together a lovely representative set of the different types of sceattas, the "alphabet soup" of types. I too like Rigold's series letter attribution, it is just easier to remember than Tony Abramson's more comprehensive numeric classification. Even though the series letters are problematic at times and there are may types that don't fit the lettered series. I don't think the series letters are going away any time soon, and will remain a main method to classify.

King Anund Jacob of Sweden was born as just Jacob to king Olof "Skötkonung" of Sweden and Queen Estrid , his parents had converted to Christianity prior to his birth and gave their son a Christian biblical name. Sweden was only just adopting Christianity at this time, and the name Jacob was not very recognizable or acceptable to the Swedes, so he was also named Anund, and is remembered to history by this name. He became a co-ruler with his father late in Olof's reign, and became king in 1022. Despite a long reign (1022-1050), Anund's history is poorly remembered. He did produce coins, but the volume of coinage seemed to take a sharp decline after Olof's death, and would cease altogether at some point during Anund's reign. Coins of Olof are by no means common, but those in the name of Anund are very rare. Anund's coins take three main flavors- 1- Those in his name imitating Aethelred's long cross type2- Those in his name imitating Cnut's pointed helmet type3- Blundered coins that die link or stylistically link to the above twoThere is the likelihood that much if not all of his coinage was produced in the first few years of his reign, and may have ceased by 1030. The coins were probably all produced at Sigtuna.Here is a coin produced at Sigtuna, in the name of Anund, by the moneyer Thormoth at Sigtuna, copying Cnut's pointed helmet type:O: ANVN D REX SIR: DORMOD ON SIHTVAnund is remembered to history as "Kolbränna" or "coal-burner". Sadly, this was not because he cooked a mean steak on the barbecue. Rather, it presumably is due to his tactic of burning down the houses of his enemies. Keep in mind that this was probably not just an act of property vandalism. If you've read "Njáls saga", an Icelandic saga, you might recall the climax of the story, when the protagonist's house is burned by his enemies with the family still inside. This was a raiding tactic familiar to the Nordic people. A force would besiege a house, or hall, or fort, where people lived and farmed, and set the building on fire. Women and young children were usually permitted to leave, but the men would not be allowed exit and die by fire. This is brutal medieval Viking era stuff. This is our Anund 🙂

I would say either the series C or R sceattas likely from East Anglia, or maybe the series J from York. If you include stycas, the stycas of Eanred and Aethelred II of Northumbria have been found in large number and are quite obtainable.

Great overview on this unusual and small coinage! I don't have any great theories on the meaning of VERNVS. I don't think it's a proper name. My thought was that it might have something to do with Spring, i.e. the Vernal equinox. But that's all I can manage. Here are my two examples to contribute

Good example. Nice to start with series A, which is among the earliest silver Saxon coins. Be careful, these little coins are addictive. You may soon finding yourself looking for examples of series B to Z! Here is my series A:

Nice set! I have them as well-

The Morrison-Grunthal book on Carolingian coins has been made available, freely, on the ANS website- http://numismatics.org/digitallibrary/ark:/53695/nnan105846 It may be of use to you, it is in English, and the price is right!

Sorry about that 😞 Fortunately they aren't super rare. You get the next one!

Busy all day yesterday, so it’s Medieval Tuesday! Hugh Capet, king of France 987-996 with Bishop Herve of Beauvais Denier O: HVGO REX HERVEIS R: BELVACVS CIVITAS Duplessy 1 Hugh, the first Capetian king, issued coins with otherwise little known Bishop Herve of Beauvais. His coins copy the Carolingian monogram, probably for familiarity and propaganda to show a dynastic continuation. This scarce denier is the only collectible coin of Hugh, with a couple other types known but only from one or two examples.

I believe the Charles III 50 pence pieces were entering circulation in December through the post offices. I ordered one from a Brit on eBay as I didn’t want to wait :). It was about $3.00, a decent markup on a circulating coin but inexpensive enough.

English penny of Henry II Plantagenet, 1154-1189. Short cross coinage Moneyer: Raoul Mint: London Class 1c, S. 1345 Considered by some the most accomplished of English kings, Henry build the great Angevin empire of England, Ireland, and much of France through conquest, marriage, and diplomacy. He was eminently successful from a military standpoint, and purportedly was a fair ruler for the time, but his legacy that is remembered today was largely his failures: He married well, in that his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had huge... tracts of land... (obligatory Monty Python reference), but Eleanor was no obedient housewife, content to sit in the shadows and occasionally play the role of peacemaker. She was the wealthiest woman in the Western world, had the power and influence, and knew how to use it. She had already married and divorced the king of France before she married Henry. While Henry and Eleanor produced 8 children (!), the relationship was tempestuous. Perhaps not as bad as it was depicted in "The Lion in Winter" but certainly not a happy union. Next on Henry's problem list were his sons, who were all at one time or another in revolt. Even Henry's favorite son, John, turned against his father at the end of his life. Perhaps his most famous utterance was the (perhaps apocryphal) "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" This directly led to the assassination of one of Henry's nemeses, Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The optics of killing the Archbishop, especially having a bunch of armed knights drag him out of the church and hack him to pieces, was not great. The final failure was not really Henry's fault. His empire would collapse in a generation. Henry's coinage had two main variants, a cross-with-crosslet type ("Tealby" pennies) which are generally poorly produced and crude, and a short cross type of better style.

Nice write up! Here is a wretched example of S.5001, thought to be the first coinage of David I at Carlisle, copying Henry I type XV. By Erebald at Carlisle. Deplorable shape though it may be, this is about average for this extremely rare issue! Which is possibly the first coin of Scotland. What is this SD11D reference?

Nice group. Love the rhino! I see it’s a popular favorite

We know very little about most of the kings of Northumbria, the northern kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England. A few blurbs here and there in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, mostly to document their accessions and deaths. Eardwulf provides an exception here. We actually have a reasonable amount on him. It makes him an appealing and interesting character in early Saxon history. Northumbria was the formation of two prior regions, Bernicia in the north, and Deira in the south. These regions were a unified kingdom by the 600's, but it appears regional loyalties and factions persisted until the end of the Northumbrian kingdom. We know that Eardwulf was the son of another by the name of Eardwulf. He was a nobleman of some rank, probably an ealdorman. He is associated with Ripon, which suggests he might have been part of the Deiran faction, however he was no friend of the current dynasty, also associated with Deira. In 790, his death was ordered by the king Aethelred I, of the house of Moll. A group of assassins attacked Eardwulf outside of the Ripon monastery and presumably in the open, to make an example. He was left for dead outside the gates. The monks brought his body inside and placed it in a tent, but the next day Eardwulf managed to crawl into the church, and was found by the monks alive. Eardwulf got the message and escaped into exile. It is not recorded in the chronicles where he was hiding, but local tradition associates Eardwulf with St. Hardulph at Breedon on the Hill, then a part of Mercia. He may have lived in a cave, and the cave still exists, known locally as Anchor Church cave. I visited this site earlier this year, pics below. The years after 790 were turbulent, to say the least. Both internal and external forces ripped through the kingdom. Internally, Aethelred was trying to get rid of all rivals, including Eardwulf, but also including the prior king Osred II who had been tonsured after being deposed, and Aelf, probably the son of king Aelfwald I. No miraculous survivals for these guys, Aethelred had them both killed. Externally, a threat none could have foreseen came in 793- the arrival of the Vikings. It was in that year that Viking raiders made their way to England, and attacked the Northumbrian monastery in Lindesfarne. The ripples of this catastrophe must have been felt throughout the kingdom. In time, the political wind changed, and Aethelred I was overthrown and killed by his nobles in 796. No suitable candidate from the royal family seemed to exist, so the throne went to a Bernician nobleman named Osbald (perhaps a relative of Osred given the name similarity). However a competing faction desired the return of Eardwulf, whose survival was known by some in the kingdom. Ultimately, Osbald didn't last a month, and Eardwulf was made king. It was a stunning reversal of fortune after he nearly died 6 years earlier and was living in exile in a cave. Perhaps a new era in Northumbrian prosperity? Unfortunately, no. Eardwulf faced many the same problems as his predecessors. The Bernician faction again rose up, with the goal of restoring Osbald, but the rebellion was unsuccessful. Later, Eardwulf put to death an ealdorman from the house of Moll, and Almund, probably a relative of another old king, Alchred. The constant cycle of intrigue and revolt seemed to be as healthy as ever, despite the new threat of the Vikings. The powerful kingdom of Mercia, to the south of Northumbria, had been giving asylum to Eardwulf's enemies (just as they had to Eardwulf himself during his exile) but now Eardwulf saw them as meddling too much politically, and went to war against Mercia. The result of this war is unknown, but a settlement was reached between Eardwulf and Coenwulf of Mercia. Alcuin, a Northumbrian churchman living in Paris, wrote to Eardwulf in a letter that survives. He chastised Eardwulf about his sins, with regards to political assassination, but also because Eardwulf committed a very public adultery with a concubine. This latter issue, though quite typical for the medieval king, was a problem for Eardwulf because it brought him the enmity of Eanbald II, archbishop of York. Eanbald began traveling with a large armed retinue, and issued coins in his own name, whereas prior episcopal coinage was in joint name with king and bishop. The discontent fomented outside of Northumbria as well, and Coenwulf of Mercia, ever the opportunist, provided assistance to Eardwulf's enemies. This actually led to war between Northumbria and Mercia in 801. The war was a stalemate but Eardwulf did silence his enemies for a time. However, the troubles continued. In 806 another revolt erupted and Eardwulf was expelled in favor of Aelfwald II. Nothing is known of Aelfwald II, though he may have been a relative of Aelfwald I, the Bernician. Eardwulf fled to France and was accepted as an exiled king by Charlemagne. He then went to Rome and visited the pope, Leo III. With continental and papal blessing he went back to Northumbria and was probably restored in 808 (mostly due to the 'encouragement 'of Charlemagne), though the Saxon sources are silent about this. Eardwulf would die around 810. His son Eanred and grandson Aethelred II would succeed him. No coins of Eardwulf were known until the 1990s. Since that time, a total of 9 coins of Eardwulf have been found by metal detecting. All are the nonportrait "styca type" of debased silver, and all by the moneyer Cutheard. The Abramson collection, sold at auction in 2021, contained a remarkable 5 examples, more than half of the number known. My coin is from that collection, found in 2009 in East Yorkshire. Here is a coin of Eardwulf, by the moneyer Cutheard: Here are some coins of Eardwulf's rivals- Aethelred I, who tried to have him killed Eanbald II, the Archbishop of York Aelfwald II, the usurper And lastly, here are some pictures of the Anchor Church cave, overlooking the river Trent, where Eardwulf took refuge and lived as a hermit (anchorite)-

Here is an English Northumbrian coin: Aethelred I, king of Northumbria, 1st reign 774-779 Mint: York (probably) S.850, N.180 O: EDI[LR]ED (retrograde) R: Quadruped right, triquetra below A very archaic Northumbrian coin, with crude die cutting. The letters vary wildly in size and the quadruped on the reverse is hard to appreciate, but the crudeness evokes something about the chaotic time. Aethelred was king twice, during his first reign he was a child, and may have been a puppet for his father, the previously deposed Aethelwald Moll. Aethelred and Aethelwald issued coins together, and these die link to coins just in the name of Aethelred, suggesting a possible joint reign not attested in the history books. Aethelred, or possibly his regency council, arranged for the murder of three of his noblemen, which led to further unrest. Aethelred was deposed in 779 but not killed, possibly on account of his age. It generally was not good sense in this time to leave the ex-king alive. In 789, after king Aelfwald's assassination, Aethelred returned and became king again. However his second reign would also be turbulent. He moved to eliminate rivals including the children of his predecessors. At one point he would have one of his nobles, Eardwulf, assassinated. Curiously, though left for dead, Eardwulf would survive and make a comeback (see separate post). Aethelred's second reign would end in disaster. While he can at least partly be blamed for the internal mess, it was no fault of Aethelred's what happened in 793. Vikings appeared in England for the first time, sacked the monastery at Lindesfarne, and the Viking age begins. In this turbulence, Aethelred's time was running out. In 796 Aethelred was murdered by his nobles. Aethelred's coinage is fairly numerous, but mostly belonging to his second reign, where no quadruped appears but only the name of the king and his moneyer, or his archbishop. The first reign coinage is very rare.

I will be there Thurs-Sat. I don’t know if the preview fee is worth it. Probably not. But I do it to have an extra day. And I usually find something to buy on day 1. At least the price hasn’t gone up, like everything else has!

A great selection of continental coins. While it is no longer academic to call this era the "Dark Ages", I have sentimentality to this old terminology. "Early medieval period" just doesn't have the same emotion of a time dimly lit by the light of historical record-keeping, and with a world of low literacy, mass migrations, wars, disease, and famine. Very few primary sources or monuments survive to this day, but nevertheless civilization peeks through, with this remarkable and abstract coinage to go along with a few surviving books and charters. Congrats on a great year!