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Auction: 23004 - Ancient and British Coins - Featuring the 'White Rose' Collection
Lot: 404

Eadgar, King of the Mercians (957-959), latterly, King of All England (1 October 959 - 8 July 975), Round Halfpenny, struck October 959 - 963 [?], Winchester, + EADGAR • REX, small cross pattée, rev. VV-IN divided by outfacing long crosses, evenly spaced pellet in each angle and at centre, 0.52g [8.4grns], 10h (Biddle & Harvey, The Winchester Mint and Coins and Related Finds from the Excavations of 1966-71, [2012], pp. 94, “possibly a misread coin of Eadwig” and Corpus no. 32D [Rect; cf. EMC 1991.0256; cf. EMC 2006.0203 [Eadwig]; CTCE -; North 754; Spink 1140C), minor edge loss between 12 and 2 o'clock, and a truly inconsequential flan furl between 10 and 12 o'clock, otherwise of excellent metal; of simplistic style yet talented and competent engravership, and beautifully uniform for strike, near extremely fine and OF THE HIGHEST RARITY; the first of its kind discovered since 1841, only full coin extant and comprehensive proof of this issue being struck under Eadgar; and thus the most important addition to the extremely limited corpus of 10th Century 'Round Halfpennies' since the discoveries of the Eadwig parallel coin at Calbourne (Isle of Wight) in 2006 and the Wilton coin of Boiga sold through these rooms in December 2011 for £10,400

Provenance

Found at Preston Candover (Hants), Sunday 9 October 2022

~ Recorded with the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambs), ref. EMC 2022.0360 ~



The via media of English kingship underwent a transition through the latter half of the tenth century, not least in the identification of the Sovereign to his subjects. The reflection of the ebbing and flowing fortune of the Cerdic household in the conquest, abandonment and reconquest of the Danelaw plays out across their numismatic emissions. The conversion also included the familiarisation of language towards the historic Royal seats at Winchester, and would ultimately culminate in birth of the ‘modern Coronation’ ceremony at Bath on 11 May 973.



When Eadgar’s half-uncle Aethelstan declared himself REX TOTIUS BRITANNIAE before AD 931, the coinage reflected this elevation as much as it commemorated his recapture of York about AD 927. The perpetuation of this title, alongside its localised variant REX SAXONORVM continued in the liberated Northern territories until his death in AD 939, but unlike the Caesarian transitions of Rome, the title would not pass uninterrupted to his successor and eldest son Eadmund (939-946). His reign would be punctuated by the loss and recapture of York to Hiberno-Norse factions, and the temporary issue of coins signed in his name EADMUND REX EB[ORACVM].



Eadred, his younger brother, succeeded him in on 26 May 946; gifting England an effective Regency as a pre-cursor to the maturation of Eadmund’s children. Although EADRED REX was thus styled on the majority of his coinage, the furtherance of ‘exceptional types’ at Chester permitted his apparently brief elevation to EADRED REX SAXONORVM (EMC 2009.0296). Evidently the reflection of such title came with a legitimate rule over Mercia and Northumbria, rather than an as honorific or optimistic claim to the territory as the Hanoverians displayed with France in the 18th Century. The final ostracisation of the Viking force from Northumbria occurred with the death of Erik Bloodaxe at Jorvik in AD 954. Eadred’s response was to appoint Earl Oswulf as high-reeve of Northumbria at Bamburgh Castle; a position that he likely occupied until his own death in AD 963. When Eadwig ascended on 23 November 955, the fourteen year old swiftly found himself less favoured than his younger brother Eadgar. Dunstan, Abbot of Glastonbury had been the chief religious aid to King Eadred, turning down the bishopric of Winchester in 951, and Crediton in 953 to maintain loyally to the King’s count. However Dunstan, a gold and silversmith by profession, inadvertently offended the new teenage King soon after his Coronation and was forced into exile. However in 957, Mercia and Northumbria separately recognised Eadgar as King of the Northern territories, whereas those areas south of the Thames continued to recognise Eadwig as overlord. Eadgar immediately recalled Dunstan and appointed him Bishop of Worcester. The following year Dunstan was given the see of London too. Soon after, Oda, Archbishop of Canterbury died and a dispute arose between Eadgar and Eadwig about a successor. Eadwig favoured Ælfsige of Winchester, who unfortunately died in the Alps on his journey to Rome. Subsequently Eadwig appointed another loyalist Byrthelm, Bishop of Wells. However Eadwig’s death on 1 October 959 truncated this appointment, and Eadgar soon replaced Byrthelm with Dunstan.



The numismatic timeline for this demarcation has hitherto been poorly understood other than to state that Eadwig’s coinage as REX ANGLORVM was evidently acceptable in both Kingdoms, and Eadgar until his brother’s death appears to have remained simply ‘King of the Mercians’ and probably without a styled coinage. In Eadwig’s south-western stronghold, ‘Circumscription Cross’ Pennies were struck at the Devon mints with more expressive titles than his wider national series. At Barnstaple, REX SAXONUM reappears alongside his name, elsewhere more curious legends including the semi-blundered ‘REX ZAXN TATVM (or possibly TA[L]IVM) at Totnes; and even REX (ANG)TNI (Exeter), which may provide us with hybrid expressions of ‘King of All (or even These) Saxons’ and even ‘King of the Ang(li)tani’.



Prior to the discovery at Headley (Surrey) in 2014, Eadgar’s principal Penny coinage could be divided into four core types. Unsurprisingly the Circumscription Cross and Two Line types once again form the bulk of the national series. The expansion of the portrait issues also appear in larger quantities at this time. However, more locally the continuance of ‘Exceptional’ types from Mercia frames the regional variation in which the remarkable ‘Alpha and Omega’ Penny from Shaftesbury evidently sits (EMC 2014.0296). Whilst these coinages can hardly be deemed radical in the numismatic context of 10th Century workmanship or artistic precedent, the return of the loaded ‘ethnic determiner’ REX TOTIUS BRITANNIAE under Eadgar for the first time since Aethelstan some two decades before, perhaps indicates his desire to venerate his ancestral house of Cerdic during his reign. The concerted efforts towards a reliable round Halfpenny coinage further point to this, with the remarkable ‘Restoration’ of King Alfred’s ‘Londonia Monogram’ issue, judging by the higher weight standards, about the time of his wider coinage reform post-Coronation in AD 973.



The overlaying of different types across various regions is further compounded by the apparent interchangeability of the latinised VV and Old English ‘wynn’ when communicating a ‘W’ in a moneyer’s name, the mint signature of even the name of the King, who in the case of Eadwig is known in both forms. However in studying the important mint of Winchester, one unearths a distinct correlation between the spelling of these names and the phases of production within the context of the reign, ultimately aiding our understanding of the chronology of their production. EMC can identify only three moneyers with confidence to Winchester for the short reign of Eadwig. Interestingly all have styled him ‘EADVVIG’ rather than ‘EADPIG’ as seen on contemporary issues from north of the Thames basin. Frithumund and Manngod are evident from the inclusion of a VVIN mint signature, with Leofric assumed as the third given the findspot at single coin on Winchester Cathedral Green in 1964, and a moneyer of that name there during the reign of Eadgar. By the end of the latter’s reign all coins of Winchester would be styled ‘PINTONIA’ or an abbreviation thereof. However a tight group of four moneyers, including Leofric, are known for striking coins at Winchester with the styling VVIN, VINT or VVIN CI. It is no coincidence that these coins almost all bear the short-lived ‘REX TO BRI’ styling in the obverse legend, suggesting both came into use soon after the accession of Eadgar on 1 October 959.



Contextually the accession of Eadgar from ‘King of Mercia’ to ‘of all England' was an equivalent upgrade to that made by his half-uncle Aethelstan by AD 931. This would be a sufficient prompt to explain the redeployment of such a unique title, especially at an important mint previously under the control of his brother. Interestingly of these moneyers, Ælfsige, Leofric, Martin and Ragnulf, at least two would still be signing coins after the currency reform of AD 973. Given the timespan of only fourteen years between these two events, it is reasonable to conclude that they are the same individuals, or at the very least close relatives, who carried on the profession. Two further moneyers, Frithumund (of Eadwig fame) and Marscalc are known pre- and post-reform, so it would be no surprise to witness future additions to this admittedly small corpus being found bearing their name.



As no coin is yet known bearing the spelling ‘VVIN C’ [WIN CIVITAS - as per Margaret Gelling (2012), pp. 79-85] for the post-reform period, it is reasonable to interpret this spelling as a diagnostic feature of Eadgar’s earlier coin issues. It would follow that this spelling was ultimately phased out during the 960s as a result of phonetic pronunciation of PINT(ONIA), alongside the cementing of the King’s title as ‘REX ANGLORVM’ or a permutation thereof. Both Edward the Martyr and Aethelred II would continue to use this title unaltered until the latter's deposition in AD 1016. Consequently this would place our remarkable new coin early in Eadgar’s reign, and given the direct parallel to the Eadwig example found in 2006, presumably exceptionally close to his actual accession. The weight standard of this new coin pegged around 9grns [complete], is much closer to the pre-reform Penny standard of circa 19grns; than it is to the post-reform issue of circa 23grns. Both the ‘Exceptional types’ and the Circumscription Cross types similarly accord with this standard, with the latter types bearing the REX AN(GLO) signatures suggestive of this ‘transitional language’ phase of production, like that borne out on Ælfsige of Winchester’s coins that are initially signed ‘VVINT’ - ‘REX ANGLO’; but latterly become ‘PIA’ - ‘REX AN’. Intriguingly given the survival of at least seven specimens of the Londonia Monogram 'Restoration' types of Eadgar, some of which are recorded at 10.8 grains, it is possible that this production is more closely associated to the reform issues than previously ascribed, although as Pagan (pers. comms) rightfully notes: "This suggests to me that there would certainly seem to be three distinct groupings into which these coins fall, but the occurrence of the anomalous mint signature PINTONIA in the REX TO BRI grouping and the occurrence of VI, VVIN, etc. in the other groupings also suggests that the topic needs further research".



Whilst contextual cartulary documentation is famously doubtful; it is quite evident that the remodelling of the Winchester mint signature will be critical to our understanding of the phases of Eadgar’s specie. Previous attribution of the REX TO BR signature at Chester has posited the dates of 961-963 (CTCE 288b), this new find could possibly stretch that back closer to the onset of his reign proper. The importance of the full comprehension of this two decade span of production will further unlock our appreciation of his concerted efforts towards the establishment of a regular round Halfpenny coinage in circulation; his veneration of the Wessex household and its achievements over the previous Century; and indeed ultimately the very coronation of Kings and Queens in a format that England has recognised and treasured ever since. In the pre-amble to King Charles III's own coronation, never before has Eadgar’s crucial decree ‘una mensura sicut apud Wincestram’ seemed more apt.



In any case, the discovery of this second coin, comprehensively proves the since-doubted attribution made back in 1841 by Charles Roach Smith, for a coin exhibited by him at a meeting of the Numismatic Society of London on 23 December (cf. Lindsay, Heptarchy [1842], pp. 89; and, Catalogue of the Museum of London Antiquities [1854], pp. 108 - the latter recording that coin's accidental destruction]). This original find, since lamentably destroyed, was documented as having been found in the rubble of St Bartholomew's Church which had been demolished between August and October 1840 in reaction to the Royal Exchange Fire of 1838 and planned widening of Threadneedle Street. Contemporaries recorded the removal of the 'light and graceful church' in sombre tone. Edward John Carlos, writing in The Gentleman's Magazine, prophesied: “The apathy with which the removal of St Bartholomew’s Church will be remembered and felt when perhaps the loss of this church will be found a trifle in comparison with the wholesale destruction to which, ere long, the churches of the metropolis may chance to be destined”.


Newspapers' were more matter of fact: 'The entire removal of the bodies and remains interred at St. Bartholomew's Church, by the Royal Exchange has just been effected; and amongst the last excavated were some bones and a portion of what was once a coffin, which former are supposed to be the relics of Miles Coverdale, the first English translator of the Bible which received the royal assent." In December, Toplis and Son, the auctioneers would sell off the 'valuable materials; chiefly stone, leaded roofs, marble pavement and ironwork' relating to the Church. (The Globe, 2 October 1840)

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Sold for
£6,500

Starting price
£5000