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Auction: 13013 - Ancient, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals
Lot: 570

Wessex, Alfred the Great (871-99), Penny, 1.28g, lunettes coinage, 871-76/77, London dies, Wulfeard, Burgred vertical style bust right, +elfreÐ mx+, rev. dmon / vvlfear / eta, lunettes type A, cluster of six pellets after eta (Lyons and MacKay group II, var V, Corpus AfL2.65 - this coin; N.625; S.1057A), sometime cleaned, very fine, a very rare Mercian issue of Alfred

provenance
SNC April 1992, 1771

In their Corpus of the Lunettes coins of Alfred (BNJ 78, 2008, 38-110), Lyons and MacKay noted nine examples with the Burgred 'Vertical' bust (designated as Alfred variant V). Most Alfred Lunettes pennies are struck from dies associated with Canterbury however a small number show characteristics that allow them to be linked to London. Apart from the bust style, the obverse legend on this coin reads ELFREÐ a distinctly Mercian reading of the more normal ELBRED found on his Kentish lunettes coins. Wulfeard was one of a small number of moneyers well known for Burgred of Mercia (852-74), who also struck coins for Alfred and the six pellets cluster on the reverse is also noted for Burgred.

Additionally the latter part of the obverse legend on this coin reads MX a format commonly found on the coins of Burgred, but exceptional for Alfred where REX is the usual style. The omission of REX and its replacement with the MX is significant as it appears to give Alfred a Mercian title. One explaination for this might be that this coin was struck in the name of Alfred by Mercians in London in the period after 874 when Burgred abdicated and the kingship of Mercia was uncertain.

Sold for
£2,600