Penny of Edward the Confessor
This Anglo-Saxon penny was found by David Rauchfliesch, who believed it was a coin of Edward the Confessor. However, as David was uncertain about its exact identity he asked if I could provide him with more information.
The coin is an example of Edward the Confessor’s hammer cross type, which is listed in the Standard Catalogue as number 1182. On the reverse the legend reads +LIOFPINE ON SA, so Leofwine is the moneyer and Sandwich the mint.
Sandwich is a rare mint for Edward the Confessor and most extant specimens are of the small fan type. David’s example is the hammer cross type, which is of great rarity for this mint. After checking through all the sources available to me I failed to trace another example of this mint and type combination so the coin could even be unique.
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Valuation
The coin is rather worn, which is unusual for an Anglo-Saxon penny. Most did not circulate widely and the type was often changed so the majority show minimal signs of wear. If this coin had been struck at one of the fairly common mints then it would have been worth less than £100. However, even though it would grade no better than about Fine, as it is an important rarity my pre-sale auction estimate would be no lower than £400-600.
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