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Auction: 18012 - The Williams Collection Part II, Anglo-Saxon and Viking Coins
Lot: 131

(x) East Anglia, Aethelstan I (c.825-845), Penny, 1.33g, Eadraed, +edelrtin+i, around plain inner circle containing central pellet, rev. + eirrmi around keyhole shaped device with pellet at centre (Naismith E35 this coin; N.-; S.-), very unusual style and a unique piece, extremely fine

provenance:
Spink Numismatic Circular, December 1991, no. 7955a
Found near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 1990

The Numismatic Circular has the keyhole device as the obverse and describes it as 'keyhole style attempt at portrait.' Naismith interprets it as the reverse and comments 'This highly corrupt looking name may be a garbled version of a genuine moneyer's name; alternatively, this coin may be a contemporary imitation.'
Possibly the 'keyhole' is an attempt at a bust, but since the moneyer was clearly able to do this much, and do it perfectly neatly, he could surely have done more, on both sides of the coin, had he wished. The attempt at the king's name is more successful, and though it is unusual to have the bust and the king's name on different sides of the coin it is not unheard of. The coin in isolation remains enigmatic.

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Sold for
£2,300