Kings of Wessex Edward the Elder AD 899-924 Silver Penny

Kings of Wessex Edward the Elder AD 899-924 Silver Penny

Two line type

Beorned

S1087; 21mm, 1.58g

This coin comes with a previous handwritten label and is a part of the St Austell collection, formed in the 1990’s-2000’s.

Edward the Elder (899-924): Son of Alfred the Great, Edward spent much of his reign retaking the Danelaw from its largely Scandinavian-descended inhabitants. By the end of his tenure, most of the territory had been re-absorbed and the Danish Jarls firmly subjugated by both force and diplomacy. A great soldier, his military exploits have somewhat dominated other important aspects of his reign – such as his socio-political re-organisation of Mercia and East Anglia into new administrative shires. Only recently has Edward been studied in depth, overshadowed to a degree by both his famous father and contemporary ally in the English fightback – Lady Æthelflæd of Mercia. His coinage is highly varied, including both portrait and non-portrait types as well as very rare ‘pictorial’ issues