Aethelstan AD 924-939 Silver Penny Main Issue Small Cross type London mint

Aethelstan AD 924-939 Silver Penny Main Issue Small Cross type

Small cross both sides.

London mint, Moneyer ELE

S1093, 22mm, 1.40g. Good metal, large flan and clear detail.

This coin is part of the Fort collection, a carefully assembled group of English Anglo-Saxon pennies collected for their historical importance and condition. Coins were sourced from reputable dealers and auction houses over some 25 years. Each one comes with the collector’s label, along with any other previous tickets and are sure to sell quickly given their overall high grade and rarity. FortA

Æthelstan (924-937): Regarded by some as the very best of all the English Kings (even better than Alfred), Æthelstan’s achievements draw on aspects of both his father and grandfather’s rule. In addition to being a capable military commander and well-able to defend the realm, he was also a statesman of note. Securing his borders with Wales via clever diplomacy and making supreme efforts to ensure that Scandinavian-aligned Northumbria would not break away from England, he was also deeply concerned with undertaking sweeping legal reforms. A shrewd man in matters fiscal, he promoted regional trade centres, re-organised aspects of the minting process and struck coins bearing his name that declared him ‘King of All Britain’ – a proud but perhaps not totally inaccurate boast. In 937, he achieved a stunning victory when he defeated a joint invasion force of Dublin Norse and Scottish at the Battle of Brunanburgh – though he died only a few years later.