Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 15005 - Ancient, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals
Lot: 372

Danelaw, East Anglia (c.885-915), Penny, 1.37g, St Edmund memorial coinage, early phase, c.895-905, Ersalt, chevron-barred a, dispersed pellets in field, +edrenidanac, legend begins at 5 o'clock, rev. +e.rsat-mon, cross pattée within inner circle (N.483; S.960), some areas of darker tone, small patch of corresponding weakness, a very tidy early striking of this coinage, full, round and perfectly centred, original surfaces remain, good very fine and very rare with obverse this obverse legend

The replacement of the obverse legend SCEADMVNDREX with EDRENIDANAC appears to be quite deliberate. The exact meaning of the legend is not known though the 'Danac' group was given special mention by Blunt in his article 'St Edmund memorial coinage', published in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology (1969). All the examples cited by Blunt, BMC 397-401, are a variant on a theme of EDRENIDANAC wih the common final element DAN, DANC, DAAC, or DANAC. All pieces are by moneyer Ersalt and one may wonder whether the DANAC legend may be in some way an allusion to the common Danish heritage of the East Anglian settlers or indeed to a regional Danish ruler.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£480