Aethelred II, Penny, long cross type, Wilton Mint, moneyer Goldus

Aethelred II (978-1016), silver long cross Penny (c.997-1003), Wilton Mint, Moneyer Goldus, draped bust left Latin legend and beaded outer border surrounding both sides, legend commences lower left, +ÆÐELRÆD REX ANGLO, the NG and LO ligatured, rev. long voided cross with tri-crescent ends, +GOL DVS MΩO PILT, weight 1.76g (BMC IV, 346; BEH 2054; N.774; S.1151). Dark tone, with slight undulation, good very fine and rare.

North lists 73 named mints in operation during the reign of Aethelred II with a further 14 unallocated. According to North Wilton operates with ten moneyers across all types except the helmet and last small cross.

Though Aethelred enjoyed such a long reign he was known as "The Unready" literally meaning ill-counselled from a history of bad advice and decision making. Born circa 967 Aethelred was supported by his mother and partisans that were led by Earl Aelfhere of Mercia; ascending the throne at no more than 12 years of age after the murder of his Half-Brother Edward at Corfe. The influential Aelfhere having died in 983 meant Aethelred became more vulnerable, and the Vikings began to start their raids once again. Aethelred chose to pay off the raiders rather than resist, becoming known for giving such ransoms payments willingly. This meant many hundreds of thousands of coins ended up being taken to Scandanavia where they were hoarded and why much of the coinage that survives today often exhibits "peck marks" where the Viking bankers have inserted a knife point to make sure the metal quality was good. The harrying continued until Swein Forkebeard held a great swathe of England by 1013, and Aethelred was under threat in London retreating to the Isle of Wight. England submitted to Swein but he died suddenly on the 2^nd February 1014 at Gainsborough giving Aethelred the advantage and driving the Vikings out. Canute the second son of Swein, returned to attack in 1015 and by early 1016 was marching on Mercia, Aethelred however passed away on 23^rd April 1016 in London at around the age of 52 just as his second son Edmund was moving south to link up with the army. Edmund was elected King, but the army was his priority, and after winning a few battles suffered a defeat at Ashingdon on 18^th October 1016. He retreated possibly wounded to West Mercia and negotiated a treaty giving him rule of Wessex. However, Edmund died in Oxford on the 30^th November 1016 giving control to Canute.

Wilton beside the River Nadder and Wylye situated north west of Salisbury is in the Bughal Hidage and Alfred the Great was defeated here in 871. The town was burnt by Swein in 1003 when the mint was moved to Salisbury, with moneyers only returning later from circa 1020. Later the Empress Matilda spent Easter of 1141 here and Stephen suffered a defeat here in 1143.

The legends translate as "Aethelred, King of the English" and "Goldus of Wilton."

Provenance:

Ex Millennium Hoard, Suffolk, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 165, 4^th December 2019, lot 79.

Ex Collection of an English Doctor, part one, Sovereign Rarities, London, March 2022.