The Fortress Kingdom: The Wars of Aethelflaed and Edward the Elder 899-927 by Paul Hill

Author:Paul Hill [Hill, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781399010610
Google: lac4zwEACAAJ
Publisher: Pen & Sword
Published: 2022-10-14T21:00:00+00:00

The Coinage of Edward the Elder

Rarely are the minting places of Edward’s coins shown, although some early pennies from Bath (whose reeve is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as passing away in 905) are known bearing the name of the town. However, the majority of Edward’s coins are of the ‘Two Line’ type brought in by Alfred in the later years of his reign. From about 910 a rare type appears from London and Canterbury with a rose design on the obverse.

During the central years of Edward’s reign a series of coins appear with ornamental designs on the reverse (see Fig. 10). Some of the moneyers whose names appear on these issues are known from later mint-signed coins struck after Edward’s reign. They appear from around 910 and last until around 920 when they are replaced once more by the ‘Two Line’ reverse which now incorporated a linear circle between the inscription and the beaded edge. It can be deduced that these ornamental reverse types emanated from western Mercia, in the patrimony of Æthelflæd. Chester, Shrewsbury, Hereford and Gloucester feature. Although neither the Lady of the Mercians nor her late husband appear to have struck coins in their own name, the occurrence of these ornamental types, although struck in Edward’s name, may represent his sister’s desire to express her own (and specifically Mercian) influence over coinage under her control. Designs include a tower or reliquary (associated with Chester); a church; a ‘Hand of Providence’ (Shrewsbury); flowers and floral motifs (with fronds curved in the shape of an ‘M’), a bird; and two large rosettes.

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