Kings of All England. Aethelstan Penny ND (924/5-939) Chipped NGC, Uncertain mint, Manna as moneyer, Bust Crowned type, S-1094, cf. N-673 (R; this moneyer not listed), BMC (Anglo-Saxon II)-Unl., SCBI XXXIV (British Museum)-Unl., MEC VIII-Unl., Blunt, "The Coinage of Athelstan, 924-939. A Survey" (British Numismatic Journal Vol. 42 no. 6, 1974), Unl. (see pg. 64), Naismith & Tinti, "The Forum Hoard of Anglo-Saxon Coins" (Bollettino di Numismatica Vols. 55-56, January-December 2011), Unl. 1.23gm. +EÐELCTΛH REX, crowned, draped bust of Aethelstan right / +MANNA MONETA, small cross pattée. A highly intriguing selection, not only for its somewhat singular portrait style--calling to mind the coin style of Athelstan's successors, Eadmund and Eadred--for which we have been able to find no matches, but also for the moneyer's name, which is not documented for Aethelstan's portrait issues, and indeed, scantly appears on his coinage at all. North records Manna for the Two-Line Horizontal type at a southern, northeastern, or Mercian mint, as well as for the Circumscription Cross type at Tamworth; one example of the former is recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS-NMS-312163). That this may represent a later transitional issue between Aethelstan's and a later reign is supported by surviving issues that clearly indicate transition with Edward the Elder (see Heritage Auction #3099, May 2022, Lot 318174). Fortunately, the offering has been beautifully struck and relatively well-preserved, despite some minor edge chipping, providing fertile ground for future research. Ex. Spink Auction 5014 (September 2005, Lot 1324); Spink Auction 129 (November 1998, Lot 137) [where it was mistakenly ascribed to Manninc] From the Historical Scholar Collection

HID09801242017

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