Imitating Aethelred II

Long Cross type

Blundered legends

21mm, 1.67g

Æthelred II ‘The Unready’ – 978-1013/1014-1016: The eldest son of Eadgar, Æthelred became king at the mere age of 12 following the brutal murder of his half-brother Edward. Young and easy to manipulate, he came to depend on his councillors for their prudent advice – an aspect in which they badly let him down. Though his reign is noted for its economic reforms and a high standard for the English coinage, it was marred by Scandinavian raids, periods of acute social instability and famine. Initially adopting a policy of paying the invaders to go away, Æthelred abruptly U-turned in 1002 and massacred many ethnic Danes resident in England. This policy backfired spectacularly, actually causing more Scandinavians to take up arms against him. Displaced from the throne in 1013 by Swein Forkbeard, he briefly returned to rule for a second time in 1014 after the latter’s untimely death – only to die himself shortly afterwards.

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Imitating Aethelred II

Long Cross / Last Small Cross (Mule)

Blundered legends

20mm, 1.58g

Æthelred II ‘The Unready’ – 978-1013/1014-1016: The eldest son of Eadgar, Æthelred became king at the mere age of 12 following the brutal murder of his half-brother Edward. Young and easy to manipulate, he came to depend on his councillors for their prudent advice – an aspect in which they badly let him down. Though his reign is noted for its economic reforms and a high standard for the English coinage, it was marred by Scandinavian raids, periods of acute social instability and famine. Initially adopting a policy of paying the invaders to go away, Æthelred abruptly U-turned in 1002 and massacred many ethnic Danes resident in England. This policy backfired spectacularly, actually causing more Scandinavians to take up arms against him. Displaced from the throne in 1013 by Swein Forkbeard, he briefly returned to rule for a second time in 1014 after the latter’s untimely death – only to die himself shortly afterwards.

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Danish East Anglia AD 885-954 Silver Penny

St Edmunds Memorial

Alpha / Small Cross

S960; 19mm, 1.40g

Obverse well struck and with a lovely coppery coloured tone, reverse double struck but legible.

This coin comes with a previous hand written collector’s label.

Saint Edmund’s pennies

Perhaps the most numerous of the Anglo-Viking issues struck in the Danelaw are the so-called ‘St Edmund Memorial’ pennies, copying issues of Edmund – the King of East Anglia who was martyred in 869. These coins were struck in several phases from c. 895-910 by a dizzying array of moneyers, who demonstrate not only indigenous Anglo-Saxon names but also Scandinavian and even continental ones. These attest to a thriving, internationally-reaching polity that was probably somewhat diverse.

It might seem bizarre to think that the sons and grandsons of those who had originally killed Edmund had now moved to striking coins celebrating him as ‘SC EADMUND’ (Saint Edmund) within their own territory. However, perhaps there is a relevant point here to be made concerning the extent to which Christian beliefs had been adopted and the hold which Edmund’s cult held over the local populace. Perhaps the newly-converted Danes, feeling guilty for their ancestors’ martyrdom of Edmund, were trying to make spiritual amends by venerating him on their coins?

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St Edmunds Memorial

Alpha / Small Cross

S960; 19x14mm, 0.94g

Damaged

Saint Edmund’s pennies

Perhaps the most numerous of the Anglo-Viking issues struck in the Danelaw are the so-called ‘St Edmund Memorial’ pennies, copying issues of Edmund – the King of East Anglia who was martyred in 869. These coins were struck in several phases from c. 895-910 by a dizzying array of moneyers, who demonstrate not only indigenous Anglo-Saxon names but also Scandinavian and even continental ones. These attest to a thriving, internationally-reaching polity that was probably somewhat diverse.

It might seem bizarre to think that the sons and grandsons of those who had originally killed Edmund had now moved to striking coins celebrating him as ‘SC EADMUND’ (Saint Edmund) within their own territory. However, perhaps there is a relevant point here to be made concerning the extent to which Christian beliefs had been adopted and the hold which Edmund’s cult held over the local populace. Perhaps the newly-converted Danes, feeling guilty for their ancestors’ martyrdom of Edmund, were trying to make spiritual amends by venerating him on their coins?

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Christ standing / Cross

S6103; 17mm, 0.93g

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Hiberno Scandinavian Sihtric Anlafsson AD 995-1020 Silver Penny in his own name.

Group C

Excessively Rare

S6113; 19mm, 1.27g

Good silver and detail, when researching we could only find one other example of this type in the name of Sihtric rather than Aethelred.

The post Ireland Hiberno Scandinavian Sihtric Anlafsson AD 995-1020 Silver Penny *Excessively Rare* appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Group B

Dublin mint, moneyer Faeremin

S6103; 19mm, 1.32g

Good silver and little wear, small scratch in front of bust. An attractive coin.

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Small crosses & trefoils

S6103; 19mm, 0.81g

Comes with previous handwritten label.

Much detail for issue, pleasing tone.

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Cross Moline / small cross

S1022; 20mm, 0.83g

Comes with previous hand written label.

A decent example of this extremely rare Viking ruler, seldom available to commerce.

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Anlaf Sihtricsson (c. 941-944 and 949-952) – the cousin of Anlaf Guthfrithsson, Sihtricsson has a somewhat complicated (and long!) story. Living from c. 927-980, he was king of both Northumbria and Dublin twice – though in the former case he apparently shared power with a co-ruler, Regnald. During his rule, Northumbria seems to have returned wholesale to Scandinavian allegiance – though the region would be reconquered in c. 942 by King Eadmund. Despite a politicised baptism and adoption as Eadmund’s godson, Sihtricsson would be removed from the kingship of Northumbria in 944 and leave for Ireland. Though he would return to rule York again in 949, he would be deposed a second time and this time leave England for good, instead choosing to administer Dublin for a lengthy period and engage in conflict with a number of the Gaelic kings. Deposed in 980, he would live out his days at the monastery of Iona in forced retirement – dying shortly afterwards. His coins are some of the most iconic in the Anglo-Viking series, one particularly striking issue depicting a raven in flight.

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Large Cross / Small Cross CVNNETTI

S993, 20mm; 1.39g. Minor edge loss, otherwise good metal and golden tone.

Comes with previous handwritten label.

Cnut of Northumbria (c. 900-905) – far more obscure than his 11^th century namesake who reputedly tried to hold back the waves at Bosham to prove to his followers that he did not possess  divine power; this Northumbrian Cnut remains something of an enigma. Aside from a few scant mentions of his name in Medieval Norse sagas compiled four centuries after his death, there are no other literary records mentioning him. Approximately 3,000 pennies struck in his name were found in the 1840 Cuerdale hoard, alongside issues of one ‘Sieferth’ and indeed some other coins displaying both the names ‘Cnut’ and ‘Sieferth’. Sieferth is just as obscure, though some scholars conflate him with Cnut – arguing that they are the same person. Cnut’s coins are redolent with Christian imagery, one iconic type demonstrating his name laid out in the manner of crossing oneself, accompanied by the inscription ‘MIRABILIA FECIT’ (He has done wonderful things) – taken from Psalm 98.

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