Ludica, King of Mercia, Portrait Penny, City of London, Unique

Ludica (825-827), King of Mercia, silver portrait Penny, City of London Mint, diademed bust right to bottom of coin, legend and beaded border surrounding, LVDICA REX MER, rev. three-line inscription between beaded lines with outer beaded border, +LVN / DONIA / CIVIT, the O angular with serifed apexes, weight 1.23g (BMC -; Naismith -; N.-; S.932A plate coin) Dark tone, with light bend to one part of rim, some light porosity, otherwise good very fine to almost extremely fine, unique of the highest rarity and the only existing piece of historical evidence for the occupation of London by Ludica of Mercia, of the utmost historical importance with an artistic portrait.

This coin was fully written up by Dr Rory Naismith in the British Numismatic Journal 2019 pages 204-207 in article "Two Important Coins of the Mercian Supremacy". There are only ten coins known for Ludica's entire reign at present by three different moneyers, the other nine pieces have always been attributed to the East Anglia area around Ipswich. This tenth piece, the latest find of the monarch in 2016, was the first piece of evidence to show Ludica was also influential in London as the historical record remains silent, and in a similar style of artistic merit to the portrait coins of his predecessors Coenwulf and Offa. This coin would appear to be the very first silver Penny with the mint town name of London issued though the City had been certainly minting silver pennies since the time of Offa. The next coin to mention London as place of mintage and with a very similar reverse is a unique coin of Ludica's contemporary Ecgberht dating from 830 Naismith L30a, S.1036 which came from the Middle Temple Hoard.

Ludica was an ealdorman who on the death of Beornwulf of East Anglia in 826 assumed Kingship of Mercia, trying to restore military power, but was perhaps thwarted due to falling manpower and morale. Ludica died on a second invasion of East Anglia in 827/828 and was succeeded by Wiglaf.

The obverse legend translates as "Ludica King of Mercia" and the reverse as "City of London."

Provenance:

Found Coombe Bissett, Wiltshire, January 2016, EMC 2016.0014.

Ex Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 171, 10^th March 2020, lot 138.

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