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Last additions - AlexB
CeolnothBiarnred1.jpg
Archbishop of Canterbury, CeolnothStruck c.865-868AD Kent, Canterbury mint. AR Penny 1.20g Ceolnoth Group III. Floriated Cross type. Obv tonsured bust facing, breaking inner circle 'ARCHIEP- CEOLNOD'; Rev 'BIARNRED MONETA' (Moneyer Beornraed) around, in inner circle a floriated cross. S.895? (Group III) N.247.

There are 58 recorded coins of Ceolnoth at the SCBI/EMC but only 3 coins of this moneyer for him. He also struck 6 more recorded coins for Alfred, Edward the Elder and some Danish imitative Alfred coins from East Anglia. This actual type is not listed in the corpus. However, a fragment at the British Museum, see BNJ28 CE Blunt 'A new coin of Ceolnoth' and JJ North plate III/9, is likely the same. Infact, I believe these coins are of the same dies and moneyer. Blunt & North describe 'LD' in the fragmented moneyer legend though it is likely 'ED' with the top half of the 'E' missing at the break. The Floriated Cross design is also found on coins of Aethelberht for the moneyers Dudda and Oshere but only 4 on database (N.621). In superb condition, a single find from the Driffield area in Yorkshire. This coin is potentially the only complete specimum and should be considered a great rarity. It is now recorded in the 2011 'The Coinage of Southern England' by Rory Naismith, Volume 1 Plate 65 C218.2b.

Gareth Williams at the British Museum kindly commented:

'I agree with your reading of the coin, and think that it is probably from the same dies as our fragment 1947, 14-4, 6, as you suggest, although it's difficult to be absolutely certain - the angle of the D on the reverse in particular looks slightly different, but that may just be the lighting on the photograph'

Rory Naismith from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is studying the period for his PhD dissertation. He kindly commented as below:

'The Ceolnoth in particular is quite spectacular: not only is it, as you say, the only known whole floreate cross penny of Ceolnoth, but it is also a stunning coin of considerable historical importance. There is some reason to believe that it was found as part of a small hoard comprising at least three floreate cross pennies, the other two both being of Aethelberht by the moneyer Dudda. One is unfortunately only a small fragment, but the other is beautifully preserved. As the only known hoard of floreate cross coins, this is understandably a find of some significance, although it is odd to find it deposited so far north. A trawl through the BM and as many other catalogues and find records as I could find turned up only a total of nineteen floreate cross pennies, including yours, struck by seven moneyers. It was probably a lot larger than this meagre record seems to suggest: were it not for the large Dorking hoard of 1817 the preceding Inscribed Cross phase would be almost as little-known, and many moneyers who produced this type reappeared in the Lunettes coinage, so they may well have continued over the intervening period as well'.

The initial coinage of Group III has as the reverse motif a cross crosslet with pellets in the angles [coin 1, illustrated above]. Those of Ceolnoth are of good style and feature a neater tonsured bust of the archbishop possibly wearing his pallium. Those of Aethelwulf for the same period, Phase II at Canterbury, tend to have a rather crude right facing bust with thick lettering in the legend - although a few are of better style. Not all of Aethelwulf's coins of this type have pellets in the angles of the cross crosslet. This type was struck until c.852, when it was replaced by a coinage that was to become standard at Canterbury throughout the remainder of Aethelwulf's reign and the majority of the reign of his son Aethelberht. The Inscribed Cross coinage, struck only by Ceolnoth and the two aforementioned kings, have an identical reverse with a large voided cross that contains the moneyers name within and in the angles. Comparitively large numbers of these coins survive and they have been the subject of much study with regard to dating, reduced silver content and so on. Toward the end of his reign, c.854, Aethelberht minted a new coinage mirrored by Ceolnoth, the extremely rare Floriate Cross issue. These coins as would be expected have a large floriated cross on the reverse and had a very limited striking - perhaps as little as a year. Less than ten examples survive today for the king and archbishop. Illustrated below is the only known complete example of the Floriate Cross type of archbishop Ceolnoth.


AlexBJan 04, 2015
EanredHvaetred1.jpg
King Eanred, NorthumbriaThis coin is likely a counterfeit/reproduction of a genuine Eanred Base-Styca of c. 810AD. It is currently undergoing XRF analysis to determine this. The weight is suspicious at 1.85g though the coin itself, if fake, is dangerously good.

Given that Tony Abramson, an acknowledged specialist has given his initial opinion that it might be genuine from the photo, I sent it to him for a look in the hand.

Discussion with Tony here:

'Dear Alex,
The weight is a real concern but it's difficult to tell just from the photograph - there may be some casting bubbles on the surface. I attach the Museum Reproduction Limited's no. 382 which differs from your coin. Also your's doesn't appear to be dished, so isn't a new Ashmore. I would recommend that you have the coin analysed by XRF or similar to detemine the amount of silver and confirm the presence of trace elements - tin and zinc. This could be done as Sheffield Assay office or at most universities. The leading authority is Peter Northover at Oxford. I can put you in touch.
Regards,
Tony Abramson'

So off it went to Oxford. After XRF analysis at Oxford by Peter Northover, he stated the following, almost as a footnote having discussed at length two doubtful 'Vanimundas Thrymsa':

'The Eanred coin has a composition that matches other early 9th century silver coins in England and is probably OK, although it is a very crisp example.

Regards,
Peter

--
Dr Peter Northover,
BegbrokeNano - OMCS
Tel: +44 1865 283721; Fax +44 1865 848790
Mob: +44 7785 501745
e-mail; peter.northover@materials.ox.ac.uk'


Further notes added from research email to Tony Abramson:

Just done some basic research on my coin via the EMC. There are 600+ coins of Eanred on there so this really was a quick scan through. Results:

These coins are quite heavy, certainly over the 1.35g you'd 'expect'. In one case, a coin is 2.25g!:

1001.0270
1001.0295
1024.0250
1036.0035
1042.2430

These coins are the same style as mine but no weight recorded:

2001.0274
2001.0270
2001.0600
2001.0601

These are the same as Pirie 2000, P.66 no.146 and 147 in 2 of the cases. Find spots include Sherburn, Wharrem-Le-Street, Staxton, all in Yorkshire on A64, the old Roman road from York to Scarborough. The legend for EANRED is however retrograde on all these coins, but not on mine.

Stewart Lyon and Tony correspondance:

On 08/01/2012 23:56:
Dear Tony,

I just don't believe that a coin weighing 1.8g and having a diameter of close to 15 mm can be a genuine styca of Eanred's reign. It cannot have been difficult to forge styca dies in the 18th or 19th century (though who would want to do it today?) since the designs are simple and the lettering often straightforward, as on Hwaetred's coins. If Peter Northover finds that the trace elements in the silver are consistent with 9th century silver we may have to wonder how this came about, but it would take a lot of persuasion to make me change my opinion that it is false.

Kind regards,
Stewart

Biarnred May 2017 - Updating thoughts - no new news here but to summarise, I am happy to sit this one out. On the one hand I may have identified a fake/reproduction on the market, and this serves as a warning to others. On the otherhand, with its composition and accurate style, just maybe this coin is genuine and represents a coinage now long forgotten, at a higher weight. I suspect that this coin is of relatively modern construction - perhaps some old Stycas (they are common) have been melted down and new dies used to produce this. Further the patination looks false to me, which would back up the age claim. Why? Well you can pick up Stycas virtually for free, and if you have the ability it would be an easy way to make some cash. Saying that, why aren't there more of these? Maybe a short-term venture.
AlexBJan 04, 2015
lysimachos.jpg
GREEK, Macedonian Kingdom, Lysimachos, 323-281 BC ThraceAR - Tetradrachm struck in Lampsakos, 286-281 BC
Obv. Head of Alexander the Great, wearing taenia and horn of Ammon
Rev. BASILEWS – LYSIMAXOY Athena, wearing Corinthian helmet, in long robe, seated facing left on throne, left arm resting on shield decorated with lion's-head, spear pointing downwards behind her right shoulder, holding in outstretched right hand winged Nike who is crowning the name with wreath. In left field monogram HP (ligate); in exergue, crescent with cavity left.
28.8mm, 16.85g
Ref. Thompson 47; Müller 401; SNG Paris 2542
24 commentsAlexBJan 19, 2006
CampaniaNeapolis~0.jpg
GREEK, Italy, Campania - NeapolisAR Nomus, Neapolis (Naples) mint, c. 300 - 275 B.C.
Obverse: Diademed head of nymph right, wearing triple-pendant earring, grape bunch behind.
Reverse: Man-faced bull standing right, head facing, being crowned by Nike flying right, NEOΠOΛITΩ[N] below.
Weight 7.25 g, Maximum Diameter 21.9 mm, Die Axis 315o.
SNG ANS 317, HN Italy 579, Ex CNG e-auction 92 lot 3;

Neapolis (modern day Naples) was an early Rhodian colony, originally named Parthenope. Its name was changed to Neapolis in ca. 450 BC. The obverse of this issue represents the Siren Parthenope who was the local goddess of Neapolis. The man-headed bull reverse was a type shared by a number of Campanian cities and may have generally been understood as representing Acheloös, the father of Sirens. The name of Acheloös appears in cults throughout the Greek world and in mythology as the archetypal river-god and may have been used in this context in Campania.
AlexBJul 27, 2004
Kroisoshalfstater~0.jpg
GREEK, Lydian Half-StaterCroesus 550BC2 commentsAlexBJul 27, 2004
Seleucuspreclean~0.jpg
GREEK, Seleukid Kingdom, King Seleucus ITet 305-300BC 4 commentsAlexBJul 27, 2004
Kyrenaikadidrachm.jpg
GREEK, Kyrenaika, AR DidrachmExcellent Kyrenaikan Didrachm from Magistrate/Ptolemy I period.6 commentsAlexBJul 26, 2004
pyrrhos2.jpg
GREEK, Macedonian kingdom, PyrrhosKings of Macedon Pyrrhos 278-276BC. AE Litra (23mm). Syracuse mint.
Head of Phthia left., veiled with acanthus; Rev. winged thunderbolt &
legend 'of King Pyrrhou'. Rare, finest style. EF+
4 commentsAlexBJul 24, 2004
 
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