Kings of Wessex Ecgberht Silver Penny 802-839AD Dun, Canterbury

Kings of Wessex Ecgberht Silver Penny 802-839AD Dun, Canterbury

20mm, 1.34g, S1039

A wonderful coin, fine style, good metal and little wear.

Provenance – The Kent Collection. This coin comes with a hand written collector’s ticket. Ex Brun Rasmussen, 2006

Ecgberht (802-839) – An exile of Kentish descent who returned to rule after the death of Mercian-backed Beorhtric, Ecgberht has become better known to popular history in recent years – perhaps as a result of his depiction (though somewhat inaccurate) in the TV series ‘Vikings’. A strong ruler, he secured his western borders against the Cornish through two campaigns in 815 and 825. Emerging victorious after the Battle of Ellandun against Beornwulf of Mercia, his reign marked the end of the so-called ‘Mercian Hegemony’ over the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. He can be effectively seen as the founding member of the so-called ‘House of Wessex’.