I would like to find out what the name of this type of coin is.I'm not sure if it's copper or bronze but it is very green in color.Since this falls in the area of your expertise,could you shed some light on it for me Sylvester? Sorry for the out of focus pic of the reverse..crappy camera..Mike
Here we go try typing this again, my browser crashed after the last attempt... grr. It's a Sceat. Sceats were the predecessors of the penny, although don't ask me how the sceats related to pennies during this period, presumably a sceat would be worth less. Initially Sceats had started out as silver coins. They are fairly small, smaller than a US dime but are fairly thick. Like the Roman coins before them though they became increasingly debased as the centuries went on. By this period most are either brass of copper/bronze. My Seaby book lists this one as Æ, which is copper/bronze. Æthelred II of Northumbria (not to be confused with Æthelred II of England) reigned twice. First from 854-858 and secondly 858-c.862. Presumably he was briefly overthrown in 858 by the guy listed between these two reigns, a man named Redwulf. I'm not quite sure where the dates came from on the holder, but it's most likely an issue from the second reign where most issues are of the moneyer EARDWVLF, which is what the holder says (and what the coin says). To clarify with Northumbria. At this time England was a Heptarchy, basically divided into seven kingdoms. Namely; Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent and Northumbria. But also two others, the Danelaw and the Viking kingdom of York. (I believe this is correct!) Geographically Wessex controlled the South West of England running from London and Westwards. (Not Cornwall though). East Anglia and Kent were from London and Eastwards. East Anglia being further north than Kent. Mercia controlled the midlands, Northumbria controlled the north west and the most north easterly points going into Scotland. York located in the North East was part of the Danelaw. The Danelaw was basically the parts of the country that had been invaded and conquered by the Danish and these followed Scandinavian customs rather than Saxon customs. Generally these areas were pagan. The Danelaw tends to be the North East (Yorkshire and Humberside) but also much of Lincolnshire and eventually parts of East Anglia and Kent. By the late 9th century/early 10th Northumbria fell into Danish hands, and most of Kent and East Anglia that hadn't gone to the Danes went to Wessex. As the 10th century progressed Mercia merged with Wessex and York finally fell with the death of it's last king Eric Bloodaxe in the 940s/50s. Which means that within 100 years of your coin being issued, Sceats had vanished and had been replaced by silver broad pennies, since both the southern Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms and the Vikings preferred these. Also England itself had completely changed, it was divided into two main areas Wessex (now calling themselves the kings of England) and the Danelaw still following Viking/Danish practices. This is of course the majority but it has to be remembered that in the fringes of the western parts of England and the Northern (i.e near the Scottish and Welsh boarders) but also including Cornwall there were still Celts knocking about.
Sylvester, Actually I labeled the coin holder a couple of years ago and am not sure where I got the dates but now I can change them.Also ,for some reason,I assumed that Eardwulf was Aethelred's father or grandfather.It makes sense that he was actually the moneyer since pennies from that period usually feature their names on the reverse.Thanks so much for the info and history lesson!
Your welcome, this question certainly was part of my area! (Early than i've gone yet, although i do have a copy of the Anglo-Saxon chronicles lying around as well as Stenton's 'Anglo-Saxon England' so i could always try looking up Æthelred II of Northumbria and see if he did anything exciting).
Whoow, hold the horses. Right the dates will need changing to the latter 858-c.862 that i originally supplied. The others i supplied for the first reign aren't wrong, but then again neither are the dates you supplied. There's no mention of this king in the historical Chronicle, but he did exist, the coins tell us that much. The dates are confusing at best. The North catalogue calls these copper/bronze sceats, 'stycas'. I dunno if this is conventional or not, i've heard the term before though. Now this is what i don't get; According to North, Æthelred's first reign was (840-844 & 854-858) and his second was 858-862. So 840-858 counts as one reign? Odd. But then he throws further wood on the fire, in the summary monarch listings just before the coins are listed in full North states this; Æthelred II first reign (840/1-844), second reign (844-848/50) Go figure...
Sylvester, I went searching for this guy and found the site I originally used to date my coin.It states that he was king from 841-844,then usurped for a few months and then back from 844-848. The reason I assumed Eardwulf was an ancestor is that,according to this source, his grandfather had that name. Take a look and see what you think.I'm really curious now...Mike http:www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/northumb.html
The Anglo-Saxon series of English coinage is one area I haven't yet got represented.I did manage to get a King Henry III Short Cross silver 1d. coin a few weeks ago. Aidan.
