Penny of Aethelred II
Vernon Lott said he found this hammered silver coin last week and he wondered what it might be worth.
Vernon’s find is an Anglo-Saxon penny of Aethelred II and is an example of the helmet type (Standard Catalogue number 1152). On the reverse the first part of the legend reads +GO DPIN EMO, so Godwine is the moneyer. The last part of the legend, which includes the mint signature, is not altogether clear. However, the second letter is an O so that helps with the ID.
After a search through various reference works I concluded that the first letter must be a T so the mint must be Totnes. Further research supported my conclusion and pointed towards the last two letters of the mint signature being TA. Therefore, the mint signature is TOTA, which doesn’t sound much like Totnes but that is what it stands for.   Â
Valuation
Totnes is a rare mint for Aethelred II. However, the type, mint and moneyer combination of this coin is very rare. There are dark patches on both sides of this penny but it is otherwise in VF condition. In terms of its possible value, if I was cataloguing it for sale at auction then I would set the pre-sale estimate at £600-700.
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