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Auction: 16019 - The Academic Collection of Lord Stewartby: English Coins part 1, Anglo-Saxon and Norman Coins
Lot: 216

Aethelred II (978-1016), Penny, 1.13g, First Small Cross type, Stamford, Wulfgar, diademed bust left, rev. +PVLFGAR M-O STAM•, small cross pattÉe (N764; S1143), slight flattening in the legend both sides, well centred with a dark tone, a bold very fine, noted on old ticket as an erased annulet in reverse field, old die of Edward the Martyr and unpublished, extremely rare.

PROVENANCE:
Duke of Argyll collection, purchased by Spink 1949
Bt. 14 December 1954

provenance:
Acquired 14 December 1954
N D Campbell, 15th Duke of Argyll, collection purchased by Spink 1949

This coin was the subject of an article by Lord Stewartby entitled; 'The Stamford Mint and the Connexion with the Abbot of Peterborough under Aethelred II' in BNJ 1955-57. It is argued here that on the opening of the Abbot's private mint at Medeshamstede the reverse annulet ceased to be placed on coins at Stamford. The current coin is a die duplicate of a piece in the British Museum which diplays an annulet on the reverse (p.110, No 3). It is purported that, coinciding with the establishment of the mint at Medehamstede, the reverse annulet was removed from the die as appears on this piece. Footnote No 4 on p.110 reads; 'It has been suggested that the annulet was removed from the coin, not the die. Those who have examined the coin carefully under a glass, however, now all agree that the die has been altered.' It was subsequently put forward by Mark Blackburn in BNJ 2000 that the mint of Medehamstede is more likely to be Melton Mowbray on the grounds of a new piece which extended the mint signature to 'Metheltu'.

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Sold for
£4,800