Featured From the depths of Dark Age Britain...

Another reshoot, this time of my bronze styca of King Eanred, who ruled the Kingdom of Northumbria from roughly 810-850 AD.

This coin has some provenance:

Ex Bolton Percy Hoard (1847); Ex William Fennell Collection; Ex "Property of a Nobleman" Collection (Christies Auction, 14 April 1981), lot 119; Ex Peter Moffat Collection (Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 286), lot 574

Currently in the ValiantKnight Collection



Obv: EANRED REX + around a cross
Rev: MONNE dot + around a cross (Monne was the moneyer)
Mint: York (struck 810-850 AD)
Ref: Spink 862
Size: 0.98 gr., 13 mm wide

After the Romans left Britain in 410 AD, the Romano-British were left to fend for themselves from hostile tribes north of Hadrian's Wall (still in use at this time) and raiders from Hibernia (Ireland). The Britons soon turned to the Angles and Saxons for help, but this proved to be a mistake when the barbarians later revolted. Despite setbacks (such as Badon Hill), the Anglo-Saxons were able to make themselves masters of most of England and establish several major and minor kingdoms, two of which called Bernicia and Deira would merge in the 7th century to form the Kingdom of Northumbria.

Not very much is known of Eanred or his reign. The dates of his reign mean he would have been contemporary with Charlemagne, his son and successor Louis the Pious, and his grandson Charles the Bald, across the channel in Frankish Gaul. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he agreed to submit to King Egbert of Wessex after the latter invaded Northumbria. In an unrelated event, Frankish sources claim Eanred's father had been ousted years earlier, then later received by Charlemagne and the pope, and soon returned to claim his throne with Frankish help.

By the late 8th century AD, Northumbria had fallen into a decline, and was not as powerful or influential as it had been in the past. It was during these years that Northumbria became the first victim of the Vikings, when they attacked and pillaged the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne in 793. From then on these new enemies further terrorized monasteries and other targets, their attacks becoming more frequent as they expanded. In 867, Northumbria became a subject kingdom of the Vikings, who propped up a puppet king of their own.

Map of Northumbria (from Wikipedia):

 

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Thank you for the write up! Love it!

 

Liking it! I enjoyed your write up too.

 

wow Jango => that's a beautiful coin from a fairly rare century (the good ol' 9th century AD)

... it looks a bit similar to your Carolingian coin from the same century ...

very cool new adition (congrats)

 

Very nice piece of history. One I would love to own. And very informative post as well.

 

i remember that coin..nice vk.

 

Nice one VK!

I like the fact that you represent the medieval collector on this forum. It's a true sub-niche to a niche of the hobby, but that's what keeps our hobby interesting.
Always something new to learn.

 

I too remember that coin. A very nice example. I have been trying to score a nice silver for not a lot of money but with limited success.

 

Thank you all for the kind words and glad you all like the coin and post!

Very good Steve, I was hoping someone would make the comparison.



(Louis the Pious AR denier, Metallum mint)

The Frankish Empire was the model realm that the other smaller Christian kingdoms looked up to, and this showed in the adoption of Frankish-style coinage by those kingdoms.

 

Love those two coins, being myself a collector of medieval coins (although a bit later, from the 15th century onward..)
Good catch

Q

 

Excellent coins, VK. I know little of England during this era, but I do appreciate your interest in obscure history that has to be pieced together with archaeological and coin evidence. Always a fascinating pursuit.

 

The bronze stycas of Northumbria are some of the most available and affordable issues of the early Anglo-Saxon period, and the Bolton Percy hoard is a good pedigree.

I actually collected these coins for a brief while. They're a delightful puzzle. Most consist of King or Archbishops name on the obverse and moneyer's name on the reverse. But the orthography was anything but standardized. You see letters written in all sorts of imaginative ways, often interspersed with Runic, and written backwards or forwards. And on top of all that, there are irregular issues - so that confusing legend may not say anything at all!

Most feature a simple cross or annulet at the center, but at least one moneyer, Leofdegn, had some imagination.

 

Articles about coins which are combined with history are right up my street, and I found this one most interesting.

 

I love these coins, I own a similar example from the same moneyer - they are little tiny coins and rather plain but enigmatic.

 

Off Topic Question: How do you get a topic "featured" on cointalk? I have written many, many, many long and informative threads but never achieved this honor. How does it work?

 

Really like that example, thanks for sharing. It really is interesting the different styles and variations on these. Too bad Monne wasn't as creative as Leofdegn though (only strange symbol/letter added was a backwards N in his name on my coin: MOИNE).

 

I think it has to get nominated or something, then the forum owner, Peter T. Davis, if he likes the thread, features it.

 

A couple more from Dark Ages Europe, this time from the Carolingian Empire:

My other Louis the Pious denier, unknown mint:



A Charles the Bald AR obole, Metallum mint, damaged but paid a grand total of $20 for it (undamaged it would most likely be in the $100-200 range):

 

great information thanks
jeff

 

You're welcome SwK