Kings of Wessex Edward the Elder 899-924AD Silver Penny

Kings of Wessex Edward the Elder 899-924AD Silver Penny, Cross/ Aethelstan

S1087, 23mm, 1.74g

This coin comes with a previous handwritten label and was reportedly part of an old hoard found near Chichester.

Edward the Elder (899-924): Son of Alfred the Great, Edward spent much of his reign retaking the Danelaw from its largely Scandinavian-descended inhabitants. By the end of his tenure, most of the territory had been re-absorbed and the Danish Jarls firmly subjugated by both force and diplomacy. A great soldier, his military exploits have somewhat dominated other important aspects of his reign – such as his socio-political re-organisation of Mercia and East Anglia into new administrative shires. Only recently has Edward been studied in depth, overshadowed to a degree by both his famous father and contemporary ally in the English fightback – Lady Æthelflæd of Mercia. His coinage is highly varied, including both portrait and non-portrait types as well as very rare ‘pictorial’ issues