Eadred Penny

This Anglo-Saxon penny was found in Dorset by Phil Thomson back in 2016. It’s a coin of Eadred, who was the king who finally drove the Vikings out of York, thus securing Northumbria for the English. On the obverse is a crowned bust of Eadred and on this side the legend reads EADRED REX. Phil said he had difficulty in identifying the mint and the moneyer. On the reverse there is a small cross in the centre of the inner circle and the surrounding legend reads +IVE·MONETA+TI· so the moneyer is Ive.

At the time this coin was struck the mint name didn’t always appear on coins. It was not until the Reform Coinage of Eadgar that it became standard practice to include both the name of the moneyer and that of the mint on the reverse of pennies. This type for Eadred is listed as number 713 in volume I of English Hammered Coinage. It is number 1115 in the Standard Catalogue.

Valuation

The centre of Phil’s find would grade good Fine but there is some edge loss and it is badly chipped. It’s a rare coin but with the defective edge my highest pre-sale auction estimate would be £300-400.

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