★ Rare Type ★

The Netherlands. Utrecht Area. Circa 1060. AR Denar (18mm, 0.68g). Villa Evithe(?), unknown located mint in Utrecht area. +ƧАИCTAVL, bust (Saint Paul?) to right, in front cross tipped scepter / +[VILLA]VITHE, church with two towers. Dbg. 1259; Ilisch -. Very Fine, usual flat spots. Rare.

The origins of this enigmatic coin have been much debated. On the specimens known the readable legends "SANCTVS PAVL" and "VILLA EVITHE", gives us an idea but nothing concrete of the location and emitter. Recently in "Villa Evithe – eine unbekannte Münzstätte aus dem Utrechter Raum" (Jaarboek voor Munt- en Penningkunde 103, 2016), Ivar Leimus suggests that based on the low weight and number of finds in Slavic lands that the origins point to the areas around Utrecht, also the date circa 1060 of minting is suggested. The present piece does not seem be registered by I. Leimus and the obverse portrait seems a bit off compared to the ones known by I. Leimus.