File:Silver coins of Alfred the Great (FindID 803144-1046088).jpg
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Summary
[edit]| Silver coins of Alfred the Great | |||
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| Photographer |
The British Museum, Ian Richardson, 2019-02-18 13:37:22 |
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| Title |
Silver coins of Alfred the Great |
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| Description |
English: A slightly dispersed, but closely grouped, hoard of twenty Early Medieval silver coins dating c. AD 880-923.
A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H) I) J) K) L) M) N) O)
Notes: coins N & O - BYRNALD M<> could be Byrnard or Byrnelm or mix (see moneyers under Edward the Elder) Discussion: All of the coins are variants of the Two-Line type introduced by Alfred of Wessex (871-99) c. 879-80, following his second coinage reform, in which the weight of the coins was increased. Coins of this phase, which lasted for the remainder of his reign maintained the high silver quality introduced in his previous coinage reform. Coins were issued in the name of Alfred himself, and of (following a tradition dating back to the 8th century) Plegmund, archbishop of Canterbury (890-923). Of the coins in Alfred's name, some also carry the inscription DORO, short for Dorovernia (Canterbury). Of the nineteen coins with legible inscriptions, there are five literate coins in the name of Archbishop Plegmund, and nine in the name of Alfred with a Canterbury mint signature. Of those without an explicit Canterbury association those issued by the moneyer Diarwald can also be linked to Canterbury, as he also issued coins with the DORO mint signature. Thus at least 75% of the coins in the hoard were minted in Canterbury, despite the fact that Canterbury was only one of a number of mints at which coins were struck during Alfred's reign. This strongly suggests that the hoard was largely assembled in Kent, as this proportion is not representative of Alfred's coinage in general. In addition to the coins in the names of Alfred and Plegmund, there is one with a blundered (illiterate) inscription, with elements which seems to be inspired both by the inscription PLEGMVND ARCHIEP on coins of Archbishop Plegmund, and the DORO found on some of the coins of Alfred. The most likely explanation of this is that the coin is an Anglo-Viking imitation, as coins of this phase of Alfred's reign were widely imitated in the areas of northern and eastern England settled by the Vikings. However, Anglo-Viking imitations of this phase are typically struck at a lower weight than official Anglo-Saxon issues, whereas this coin is full weight, so although the weight distinction is a tendency rather than a hard and fast rule, it is also possible that this is an unofficial imitation from an area under Alfred's rule. It is also notable that none of the coins in the hoard have the visible 'peck' marks characteristic of coins which have passed through Viking hands, indicating that they have been tested with knives to establish that they were good silver. However, the coins have not yet been fully conserved, and it is possible that peck marks may be currently be hidden beneath surface corrosion on some of the coins. The location of the hoard is interesting, given its date and character. A surviving treaty between Alfred and Athelstan/Guthrum, the Viking ruler of East Anglia sets the boundary between their respective territories. The exact date of the treaty is disputed, but it must be between c. 879 and the death of Athelstan/Guthrum in 890, and probably in the early part of that period. The coins of Plegmund provide a tpq of 890 for the hoard, which thus probably postdates the death of Guthrum, However, there is no evidence to suggest that the political situation changed radically following the death of Guthrum, with East Anglia retaining its independence, apparently still under rulers of Viking origins. The treaty may thus still have been current at the time that the hoard was deposited. The treaty specifies that the boundary runs up on the Thames, and then up on the Lea unto its source [near Leagrave], then straight to Bedford, then up on the Ouse to Watling Street. This would place the location of the hoard in Viking territory rather than Alfred's (although quite close to the border), but there are no coins in Guthrum's name (although these are known to have been issued in the Two-Line phase), and the character of the hoard is predominantly Anglo-Saxon rather than Viking. The treaty makes explicit reference to trade across the border between the two kingdoms, and this may explain the presence of a hoard of Anglo-Saxon character on the wrong side of the border at this time. Alternatively, Guthrum's coins may all have dated from earlier in the 880s, and may no longer have been widely current by the 890s. |
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| Depicted place | (County of findspot) Central Bedfordshire | ||
| Date | between 880 and 923 | ||
| Accession number |
FindIdentifier: 803144 |
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| Credit line |
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| Source |
https://finds.org.uk/database/ajax/download/id/1046088 Catalog: https://finds.org.uk/database/images/image/id/1046088/recordtype/artefacts archive copy at the Wayback Machine Artefact: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/803144 |
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| Permission (Reusing this file) |
Attribution License | ||
| Other versions | FindID 803144 has multiple images: 1046087 1046088 search | ||
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| Date/Time | Thumbnail | Dimensions | User | Comment | |
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| current | 09:28, 13 December 2020 | | 8,333 × 5,421 (5.7 MB) | Fæ (talk | contribs) | Portable Antiquities Scheme, PAS, FindID: 803144-1046088, early medieval, page 1571, batch count 9550 |
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