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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Nap, post: 2977033, member: 73099&quot;]One of my main areas of interest are Northumbrian stycas. These are base metal copper/brass coins of 9th century northern England that are some of the most boring coins ever made. The typical one has a central cross, with a king&#039;s name around the edge on one side, with the moneyer&#039;s name on the other. These coins excite me, but not too many others, due to their small size, base metal, and lack of artistic merit.</p><p><br /></p><p>There were 40 different moneyers who produced stycas (here if interested: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/completed-a-moneyer-set-of-anglo-saxon-northumbrian-stycas.279085/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/completed-a-moneyer-set-of-anglo-saxon-northumbrian-stycas.279085/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/completed-a-moneyer-set-of-anglo-saxon-northumbrian-stycas.279085/</a>), but only one of these guys stands out above the rest, with a flair for the artistic. His name was Leofthegn, literally meaning &quot;beloved retainer.&quot; </p><p>Unlike some of the moneyers who had careers that spanned multiple kings&#039; reigns, Leofthegn just worked for the Northumbrian king Aethelred II (not the Unready, that&#039;s a different king), who had a reign of about 8 years. Leofthegn&#039;s coins are the most prolific of Aethelred&#039;s reign. A very small group of Leofthegn&#039;s coins was produced that depict an animal, probably hearkening back to the heraldic animal (sometimes called a &quot;fantastic beast&quot;) which was on coins of the 8th century. There is also a triquetra smooshed in there which is another old symbol of Northumbrian royalty. The design did not take hold, and no other moneyers of these coins feature the animal. It is not clear whether these coins served a special purpose, such as presentation. They are a little larger and heavier than the average coin of this period, but not greatly so.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is my newly acquired example of this coin. In the years that I&#039;ve been collecting, I have only seen two other examples of this issue sold, and both were in atrocious condition. This coin is somewhat gnarly, but considered choice for the issue. It comes from the famous R.C. Lockett collection, and was my major purchase from the NYINC auctions.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]731733[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>O: +EDILRED REX (King Aethelred)</p><p>R: LEOF/DEG/N[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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