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Auction: 21000 - The Tony Abramson Collection of Dark Age Coinage - Part I (conducted behind closed doors)
Lot: 318

Northumbria, Eardwulf, First Reign (796-806), Sceat, Cuthheard, +EARDVVLF R, contraction mark over R, wedge before initial cross pattée. Central cross pattée in beaded inner circle, rev. +CVDHEARD around central cross pattée in beaded inner circle, initial cross pattée, 1.07g, 30° (SL 86-10 plate coin; SCBI 69, 904 this coin; N.185/5; Spink 858), some surface scuffs, otherwise well-centred, very fine, extremely rare, amongst the finest known examples of this great Northumbrian rarity

provenance
S Sansam and S Todd, April 2016, April 2016
~ Found at Driffield (East Yorkshire), 2016 ~
[EMC 2017.0043]


Eardwulf acceded to the Northumbrian throne in a tumultuous period following the assassination of Aethelred I in AD 796. Eardwulf had organised the assassination of Aethelred in revenge for Aethelred's earlier, nearly successful, attempt on Eardwulf's life. Eardwulf's reign was characterised by conflict with Coenwulf of Mercia who gave asylum to his enemies. Certain sources state Eardwulf was married to an illegitimate daughter of Charlemagne, attesting to the close ties between the Northumbrian and Frankish courts. Eardwulf was deposed in AD 806 by the shadowy Aelfwald II, prompting his pilgrimage to Rome and a visit to the Emperor's court at Nijmegen. Frankish sources suggest then he may have reclaimed his kingdom around AD 808 before being succeeded by his son Eanred in AD 810.

No coins of Eardwulf were known before the Burton Fleming find of August 1994 (EMC 1995.6001; Pirie, BNJ 65, 1995, pp. 20-31, pl. 3, no. 12) which was subsequently purchased by the British Museum. A second coin surfaced in September 1997 (Blackburn and Gillis, 'A Second Coin of King Eardwulf of Northumbria and the Attribution of the Moneyer Coins of King Ælfwald', BNJ 67,1997, pp. 97-9, pl. 24, no. 3; Abramson 2018b).

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Sold for
£7,000

Starting price
£3000