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GM25804

Aethelred II Penny, Benediction hand, Bath Mint, moneyer Aethelric

Regular price £6,500
Regular price Sale price £6,500

Aethelred II (978-1016),silver Penny, Benediction hand type (c.991), Bath Mint, Moneyer Aethelric, diademed bust right with sceptre, Latin legend and linear circles surrounding, +ÆÐELRÆD REX ANGLO,rev.hand of Benediction with swirling cuff, cross on sleeve, Latin legend and linear circles surrounding, + ÆDELRIC M-O BADA, weight 1.34g (BMC IIf, p.197; N.769; S.1147).Toned with one short flan crack, few peck marks each side otherwise very fine and extremely rare.

North lists 73 named mints in operation during the reign of Aethelred II with a further 14 unallocated. According to North Bath operates with 8 moneyers across all types except the first 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 2ndFebruary 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 23rdApril 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 18thOctober 1016. He retreated possibly wounded to West Mercia and negotiated a treaty giving him rule of Wessex. However, Edmund died in Oxford on the 30thNovember 1016 giving control to Canute.

The old Roman City of Bath some 12 miles from Bristol was rebuilt by Alfred the Great after expulsion of the Danes and was part of the Burghal Hidage. King Eadgar was coronated there in 973 and in 1013 the Danish Swein went to Bath to receive submission from the western thegns. Bath was destroyed in 1088 in a rising orchestrated by Robert de Mowbray. It later became an episcopal seat in place of Wells in 1090 and William II granted the mint to the Bishop. Minting activity occurs in the English series from the time of Edward the Elder until King Stephen.

The legends translate as "Aethelred King of the English" on obverse and "Aethelric of Bath" on the reverse.

Provenance:

Ex Alex G. Malloy, US dealer from South Salem New York, 1971.

Ex A. H. Baldwin vault stock

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