Alfa Numismatics

Auction 5  –  25 April 2021

Alfa Numismatics, Auction 5

Medieval Europe including Belgium, Bohemia, England, Germany, Scandinavia and...

Su, 25.04.2021, from 6:00 PM CEST
The auction is closed.

Description

★ Interesting Looped Coin ★

Ireland or England. Hiberno-Norse(?). Struck circa 1000-1010 (?). Imitation(?) of Aethelred II long cross type (Phase I coinage). AR Penny (19mm, 1.80g (with loop), 12h). +ÆDELRE+AIGLMIOI, draped bust left, pellet behind neck / +PVL FRIC MΩO HAM, voided long cross, with triple crescent ends, pellet in center. Likely die-identical with SCBI 51 (Estonia), 1180 (double struck). BEH 377 (Obverse); Roth 377 (Obverse, referring to BEH); SCBI 8 (British Museum, Hiberno-Norse Coins), -; SCBI 22 (Copenhagen Part V. Hiberno-Norse and Anglo-Irish Coins), -. Near Extremely Fine, with intact loop.

The style of the present coin's obverse resembles those of Hiberno-Norse phase 1. The cross in REX, (mis)spelling of “Æthelred” and bust are hints to the particular Hiberno-Norse style, however, the reverse appears to be genuine English, from the Northampton mint. Whether this coin was minted in Ireland or England is thus not clear. Recently, Bo Gunnarsson has argued that a large number of coins previously thought to be Danish imitative issues, most likely are outputs from the regular English mint of York. Among these issues were also a number of coins clearly Hiberno-Norse in style, i.e. including the name of both Sigtrygg and moneyer Farmann (Gunnarsson, York, Lund och myntmästaren Asketill, Samlad Glädje 2019). Thus, to confidently identify the origin of this particular, and curious coin, be it Dublin, Northampton, York, Scandinavia, or elsewhere, thorough die-studies are needed.

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Bidding

Price realized 3'400 EUR 6 bids
Starting price 2'500 EUR
Estimate 3'500 EUR
The auction is closed.
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