Help DeskValuations

Ecgberht of Wessex Penny

This is another coin from the collection built up over many years by Roger Paul. It’s an Anglo-Saxon penny and instead of being the more usual Aethelred II, Cnut or Edward the Confessor, it is a rare coin of Ecgberht of Wessex.

On the obverse the right-facing bust of Ecgberht breaks the inner circle and the legend on this side reads ECGBERHT REX. Within the inner circle on the reverse is a monogram of DORIB C. The surrounding legend reads +SPEFHEARD MO (the P representing a letter W). Therefore, the moneyer is Swefheard and other characteristics point towards this penny being a coin of Group III struck at Canterbury. In the Standard Catalogue the type is listed as number 1035. In volume I of North’s English Hammered Coinage it is number 573.

Valuation

Recent auction sale prices for the same type of Ecgberht penny include £2,800 for a specimen described as VF with a light surface crack; and £3,800 for one described as good VF with two small striking cracks. Prices achieved quite recently do not necessarily mean that they will continue to be strong; having said that, there is no indication of any weakness in the market for rare Anglo-Saxon pennies.

The coin looks as if it would grade VF and no defects show up. If today I was cataloguing this coin for sale at auction then I would set upon it a pre-sale estimate of £2,800-3,500. Nothing is guaranteed at auction sales. However, I’d expect it to achieve at the very least the lowest figure and wouldn’t be surprised if it hit the highest estimate.

Coin Valuation Service

Have your coin or artefact valued using my free online coin valuation service

Share
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments