Eadgar 959-975AD Silver Penny Voided Cross type York

Eadgar 959-975AD Silver Penny Voided Cross type York/ HERDULF. Small cross either side.

S1134, 20mm, 1.01g. Good metal, dark tone.

Eadgar (959-975): Known as ‘The Peaceful’ – Eadgar’s reign flies in stark contrast to that of his older brother. His reign was indeed stable and peaceable – reflecting to some the very pinnacle of the 10^th century English state. Overthrowing many social norms, he was not crowned until 973 – perhaps keen to make a political statement in celebrating the very peak of his power and authority. Uniquely, his third wife Ælfthryth was anointed as Queen alongside him – an unprecedented occurrence. For numismatists his reign is of acute interest – as he instigated a major reform of both weights and measures alongside with the coinage itself. From 972, coins were no longer struck regionally – instead, new types using standardised, centrally produced dies would be issued every few years and the old money called in for re-minting. The use of non-portrait designs was dropped totally, every subsequent coin struck in England bearing the image of the King on its obverse face. His premature death in 975 marked the beginning of a decline which England would take decades to emerge from.