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Auction: 23107 - Spink Numismatic e-Circular 27: British and World Coins, Medals and Tokens Featuring the 'Leja Park' Collection - e-Auction
Lot: 7521

(x) The Leja Park Collection | Wessex, Aethelstan (924-939), 'Circumscription' Penny, York, Regnald, EÐELSTAN REX TO BRIT, cross pattée, bar and crescent with pellets, rev. + REGN·A·LD MO EFoRPIC, cross pattée, 1.25g, 1h (Blunt -; North 672; Spink 1093), with a most pleasing cabinet tone and uniformly struck, extremely fine and very rare, unlisted on EMC

Provenance
A Wilson [York Coins], by private treaty [ref. H5428] - $5,495



This issue records Aethelstan's claim as REX TOTIUS BRITANNIAE [King of All Britain]. He assumed this title following the incorporation of the Kingdom of York into his southern English realm and as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 926/27 records the submission of all the rulers in Britain to his overlordship:



"......and King Aethelstan took to the kingdom of Northumbria, and governed all the kings that were in this island: -- First, Howel, King of West-Wales; and Constantine, King of the Scots; and Owen, King of Monmouth; and Aldred, the son of Eadulf, of Bamburgh. And with covenants and oaths they ratified their agreement in the place called Emmet (modern day Eamont near Penrith, Cumbria), on the fourth day before the ides of July; and renounced all idolatry, and afterwards returned in peace.



The moneyer Regnald appears to have had a monopoly in minting rights at York and north of the Humber, with production on this scale production was most likely spread across individual workshops, the distribution of dies to these entities being controlled by the kind of privy marks or symbols found on the reverse of this specimen.

An obverse die similar to the one employed to strike the coin above was discovered during excavations at the Coppergate site in York in 1981. The site also produced a trial striking on a lead strip of a reverse die belonging to the moneyer Regnald (as above). Another earlier die and other mint related material was also recovered from the same site and would seem to identify the area as a workshop area for the York moneyers and perhaps in particular Regnald.


Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate

Starting price
£2500