This note offers an up-to-date listing of the moneyers for Edward the Confessor’s Expanding Cross type, recording which are currently known for the Heavy series of the type, struck to a weight averaging 1.65g, and those known for the Light series of the type, struck to a weight averaging 1.09g, and adding notes to explain the addition of some moneyers to those previously recorded for the type, and the removal of others. The opportunity has also been taken to record the existence of coins of Light series weight which have been struck from Heavy series dies, and other instances where coins are of anomalous weight.
Anglo-Saxon
A Guide for Identifying Some Variants of the Crux Penny of Æthelred II – W.M.D. Castle
In this article I bring together some of the distinguishing features of some Crux variants of Æthelred II. Some of these variants are hard to distinguish, so I have created a flow diagram that groups the coins by features that are shared in common. The article focuses on Crux, Early Transitional Crux, Late Transitional Crux, Small Crux and Intermediate Small Cross-Crux mules. This guide should aid people in identifying some of these coins. The descriptions of each coin type is not exhaustive, and variations will likely crop up that don’t always fit into these neat categories, but the key distinguishing features have been listed.
Some Dangerous Modern Forgeries of Anglo-Saxon and Norman Pence – A.G. Bliss
This brief note details some dangerous forgeries of Anglo-Saxon and Norman pence, all offered for sale via eBay during 2019 and 2020. These pieces are of particular concern as many are artificially distressed, a feature which makes them more convincing to those unfamiliar with them.
Iconic Sceats – Tony Abramson
The author attempts to weave a single thread through the more exotic species of the complex, heavily interrelated sceatta coinage.
Numismatic Material of Beonna’s Interlace Type – Tony Abramson
Three artefacts found by metal detection in recent years appear to have design elements in common with the early pennies of Beonna of East Anglia (749 – c.760). These may have had commercial purposes, possibly as weights. This article by Tony Abramson explores the possibilities.
A vital clue in establishing Northumbrian chronology for early pennies – Tony Abramson
In late 2020, a find of an early Northumbria penny from Hayton, East Yorkshire, cast new light on the chronology of the northern royal silver coinage. The coin has a die link with an extremely rare type associated with the patrician king Aethelwald Moll, yet bears the named-moneyer reverse attributed to his son’s second reign three decades later. In this article, Tony Abramson suggests how this find may fit into the sequence.
Bedwyn to (or from?) Watchet: A Remarkable Instance of Die Alteration on a Penny of Edward the Confessor – David Guest, With comments by Stewart Lyon
Instances of pennies in the late Anglo-Saxon period with altered mint signatures are exceedingly rare. This note discusses a Radiate Small Cross type penny of Edward the Confessor of Watchet that was struck from a reverse die showing clear signs of alteration to the mint name. The author argues that the die had first been cut for use at Bedwyn and then altered for use at Watchet. Stewart Lyon was asked to comment on the paper and has kindly supplied an alternative reading.
The Laxfield Hoard: Some puzzles explained but not yet resolved – Hugh Pagan
A discussion of the evidence for an intriguing early nineteenth century coin hoard from Laxfield, Suffolk, which may or not have had both a Carolingian denier component as well as an Anglo-Saxon element. The note also draws attention to the fact that the late Tony Merson possessed a parcel of Carolingian deniers which he believed to derive from the hoard in question.
A New Moneyer for the Mint of Aylesbury – R. Ambrose.
A new coin of the Anglo-Saxon mint of Aylesbury adds a new moneyer to the small complement already known there, and opens up the possibility that the mint was established by moneyers from the nearby established mint of Northampton. Two further coins of the mint are also recorded for the first time.
A Rare Rune Combination on R8 Sceatta by Chris Timms.
I have interpreted the runes on the R8 Sceatta featured in this article as HHL. The runes HH appear to be ligate or bind. The rune graphs are discussed. Many different combination of runes were used on the obverse flans of the R series, EPA, GEPA, EA, EP, ER, RHY and SPI were the most common, ES is quite unusual. I have only observed EAP on one coin, presumably an error by a die cutter. The later Wigraed (R10) and Tilberht (R11) coins had their names in runes. I have only seen the combination of runes HHL on two coins I own and one more registered on the Early Medieval Corpus database at the Fitzwilliam. The symbols outside of the standard on the reverse of the “Angry Face” coins are also discussed.