Featured Completed a moneyer set of Anglo-Saxon Northumbrian stycas

With a recent purchase, I have completed a complete set of every moneyer known to strike coins for Northumbrian England. Northumbria is located in the north of England, with its major center of York. It was one of the seven kingdoms of the "Heptarchy" during Anglo-Saxon times, and was once the major power in England, but faded quickly after the Vikings attacked in the 8th and 9th centuries.

Coins in Northumbria are called stycas, a word that means "piece" and is not contemporary, probably comes from the 18th century. Coins during this time would not have been labeled as such, but since that is what they are traditionally called, I will continue the use.

Stycas were a debased currency of the 8th and 9th century, which started as a silver alloy and over the years progressed to a brass or bronze composition. They followed the sceatta currency, which in Northumbria featured the name of a ruler with an animal form on the back. I collect these too, but since there is no moneyer on the coin, I will ignore these types for a later thread. The stycas were probably all made at the city of York. They are among the simplest of literate coins, with the names of a ruler on one side, and the moneyer on the other. They were minted for kings- Aethelred I, Eardwulf, Aelfwald II, Eanred, Aethelred II, Redwulf, and Osberht, as well as for powerful church leaders- Archbishops Eanbald I, Eanbald II, Wigmund, and Wulfhere.

There are several thousand stycas known, with large hoards found during the 19th and 20th century, mostly residing in museums. There are not many people who collect these, but I have met some. These coins are among the last artistic coins ever created.

The moneyers were the guys that actually made the coins. They placed their names on the reverse for practical reasons, to identify the product and so they could be judged as to whether their coins were up to the standards of the day. Overall, there are 40 distinct moneyer names found on styca coins. As can be expected, some are very rare, while others extremely common. I've been hunting them down for several years, and have been fortunate enough to find an example of each.

Some are quite worn and others look like the day they were struck. I am still looking for upgrades on a number of them.

Here are the coins (have to break it up into 3 posts due to board limits):


Aethelheah, a moneyer for king Eanred
O:+EANRED RE
R: +EDILECH


Aethelhelm, a moneyer for king Osberht and Archbishop Wigmund
O: +OSBRCHT
R: +EDELHELM


Aethelweard, a moneyer for Archbishops Eanbald II and Wigmund
O: +EANBALD
R: +EDILVEARD


Aldates, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED RE
R: +ALDATES


Alghere, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Redwulf
O: +AEDILRED Rx
R: +ALGHERE


Badigils, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: EA++NRED R (retrograde)
R: +BADIGILS


Brother, a moneyer for kings Eanred, Aethelred II, and Redwulf
O: +REDVLF RE
R: +BRODER


Ceolbald, a moneyer for king Aethelred I
O: +AEDILRED
R: +CEOLBALD


Coenred, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Redwulf, and Archbishop Wigmund
O: +VIGMVND IREP
R: +COENRED


Cuthberht, a moneyer for king Redwulf
O: +REDVLF REX
R: +CVDBEREhT


Cutheard, a moneyer for kings Aethelred I, Eardwulf, Aelfwald II, and Eanred
O: +AEDILRERD
R: +CVDHEARD


Cuthgils, a moneyer for kings Aethelred I and Aelfwald II
O: ED+LRED
R: +CVD CLS


Cynemund, a moneyer for king Aethelred II
O: +EDILRED RE (retrograde)
R: +CVNIMVND


Cynwulf, a moneyer for king Eanred and Archbishop Eanbald II
O: EAIRED REX (retrograde)
R: CYNVALF


Daegberct, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED REX
R: +DAEGBERCT


Eadwine, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED REX
R: +EADVINI


Eadwulf, a moneyer for Archbishop Eanbald II
O: +EANBALD
R: +EODVVLF


Eanbald is probably Archbishop Eanbald I, but there is some thought that it represents a moneyer named Eanbald (since there is no title). I include for completion
O: +AEDILRED
R: EANBALD


Eanred, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Redwulf
O: +AEDILRED R
R: +EANRED


Eanwulf, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Osberht
O: +EDILRE R (retrograde)
R: +EANNLF

 

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Eardwulf, a moneyer for king Aethelred II
O: +EDILRED REX
R: +EARDVVLF


Forthred, a moneyer for kings Eanred, Aethelred II, and Redwulf
O: +REVL RE
R: +EORDRE


Fulcnoth, a moneyer for king Eanred
+EANRED REX
+FVLCNOD


Gadutels, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED RE
R: +GADVTEIS


Herreth, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED REX
R: +HERRED


Hnifula, a moneyer for king Aethelred I
O: +EDILRED
R: +HNIFVLA


Hunlaf, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Redwulf, and Archbishop Wigmund
O: +VIGMVD IPER
R: +HVNLAF


Hwaetnoth, a moneyer for king Redwulf
O: +REDVLF REX
R: +HVAETNDD


Hwaetred, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED REX
R: +HVAETRED


Leofthegn, a moneyer for king Aethelred II
O: +EDILRED REX
R: +LEOFDEJN


Monne, a moneyer for kings Eanred, Aethelred II, Redwulf, and Osberht
O: +EDILRED
R: +MONNE


Odilo, a moneyer for kings Eanred, Aethelred II, and (possibly) Redwulf
O: +EANRED REX
R: +ODILO MON


Tidwine, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED RE
R: +TIDVINI


Tidwulf, a moneyer for king Aethelred I
O: +AEDILRED R
R: +TIDVVLF


Wendelberht, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Redwulf
O: +REDVVLF REX
R: +VENDELBERHT


Wihtred, a moneyer for kings Eanred and Aethelred II
O: +EDILRED REX
R: +VIHTRED


Wilheah, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EANRED REX
R: +VILHEAH


Winiberht, a moneyer for king Osberht
O: OSBERCHT RE
R: VINIBERHT


Wulfheard, a moneyer for king Eanred
O: +EAHRED R
R: VLFHEARD


Wulfred, a moneyer for kings Eanred, Aethelred II, and Osberht, and Archbishop Wulfhere
O: +VLFHERE ABED (retrograde)
R: +VVLFRED (retrograde)

 

Wulfsige, a moneyer for kings Aethelred II and Osberht
O: +EDILRED RE
R: +VVLFSIC

 

Very cool set Nap!

 

That is quite the collection!

Nice write up, I did not know anything about these coins before. Thanks for sharing.

John

 

As a native Spanish speaker I am not even going to try to pronounce those names(the Kings); it would just make my accent sound even more ridiculous!

Interesting collection you have there, congrats!

 

Congrats, that is a great accomplishment. I love the look of those. It is interesting that Styca means piece as the German word for piece is stuck. Sorry I cannot insert the umlaut.

 

Native English speakers have as hard a time I'm sure.

 

Nice, must have taken pretty long to get all those

So sad.

 

Wow, Nap => that's an amazing collection (very cool)

Oh, and the fact that you were able to post "20" coins per post was almost as impressive!! (I thought "10" was the limit?!!)

... sadly, I don't have any examples of this neat coin-type

Congrats!! (cheers)

 

Quite the achievement Nap! Congrats, and excellent write-up. I've been tempted many times to pick up a styca, and I lived in Northumbria for a time too, making them more appealing.

 

Congratulations on your achievement, Nap!

 

Thanks all for your kind comments

Thanks, some of these names are a mouthful! I'm sure I mispronounce them too.

I meant to write "These coins are among the least artistic coins ever created."

 

Let me add my congratulations as well!!!

It's always a great feeling to complete a selected goal....and complete a 'series'.

All my 'medieval' coins are long gone

 

A completed set - no small task, i applaud your effort!

 

Congratulations! A very precious collection.

 

In going back through some threads I realized that an earlier post of yours on stycas, got me looking at them again. I started to look at stycas and then sceats to replace my CNUT penny. That is how I came across the weight that I just bought.

In the last week my knowledge of the period, geography and coinage has grown exponentially. My wallet has shrunk but my joie de vie has grown in multiples. A very good ROI IMO

All that, because you collect and posted.

Merci

 

Great coins, some of them very appealing as works of art. I always wanted one, but somehow I never was able to find the right styca for me.

 

Whoa, that is a jaw-dropper. Quite the amazing set of coins you have there. I highly doubt I'll ever come even close to accumulating something so impressive. A very nice series to focus on, too. Those are incredible pieces bubbling with history and human made personality. I think the text is Anglo-Saxon/Old English so I don't think anyone really knows how those names were pronounced, not to mention that in those days many pronunciations sometimes varied town to town.

 

North Sea Empire
Stamford, Anglia
Cnut the Great (r. AD 1016 -1035)
AR Penny 18.2 mm x 1.00 grams (c. AD 1021-1035)
Obverse: The helmeted bust of Cnut left holding a scepter with 3 lobes.+ CNVT REX A
Reverse: Short cross with 4 pellets and 2 extra opposing pellets. + THVRSTAN ON STA