Archbishops of Canterbury Aethelheard AD 798-800 Silver Penny 4th Issue

Archbishops of Canterbury Aethelheard AD 798-800 Silver Penny

4th Issue with Coenwulf as overlord

Kings name in the angles of a tribach

S886 19mm, 1.35g

Bold and central strike both sides with little wear and even dark tone, a most pleasing coin.

Æthelheard (793-805) – little is known of Æthelheard’s early life, but he appears to have been Bishop of Winchester before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury. His occupation of this post is nothing if not dramatic – in 796 he was forced to flee for his life when Eadberht Praen’s insurrection briefly re-asserted the independence of Kent. On returning to the See in 798, Æthelheard’s efforts were primarily put into helping with the de-construction of the Archbishopric of Lichfield, travelling to Rome personally to mediate between King Coenwulf of Mercia and the Pope. Canonised after his death, his cult actively survived until the 11^th century.