Northumbria Osberht 849-867AD Bronze Styca

Northumbria Osberht 849-867AD Bronze Styca, MONNE

S869, 12mm, 1.20g

Osberht (c. 849-862/867) – the last ruler of Northumbria as an independent kingdom, Osberht reigned during a period where Northumbrian history is extremely poorly known. Chroniclers state that Osberht was deposed by his brother Ælla, engaged in the process of fighting a civil war against him when the Great Heathen Army arrived in Northumbria. Although they appear to have reconciled and joined forces, both were killed when the Vikings attacked York – an event which appears to have ended Northumbrian independence for good.

This coin is a part of the ‘John Cross Collection’ of Anglo Saxon coins. John was an avid collector of coins from across the Anglo Saxon period for many years, he sadly passed away in 2020. His coins were recovered by executors who appear to have destroyed all paperwork relating to them meaning that there are no tickets or provenance prior to his collection. Tony Abramson has compiled an inventory of his early coins, a copy of which is available on request and individual numbers on the back of our tickets relate to this. The collection contains many rarities, seldom offered on the open market so this is a good opportunity for collectors to obtain rare coins which are usually unavailable.