Canute Penny, Quatrefoil type, Cambridge, Adea, ex Tooze and English Doctor

Canute (1016-35), silver quatrefoil Penny (c.1017-25), Cambridge Mint, Moneyer Adea, crowned and draped bust left within quatrefoil, legend surrounding commences lower left, +CNVT REX ANGLO, rev. pellet at centre of voided long cross, over quatrefoil with pellet cusps, legend surrounding, +ADE A ON GRA NTB, weight 0.93g (SCBI Cambridge 1:752; BMC type VIII; N.781; S.1157). Toned, well centred, good very fine.

The legends translate as "Canute King of the English" on obverse and on the reverse "Adea of Cambridge." This Quatrefoil type coin is struck of the London type C later style as defined by Mark Blackburn and Stewart Lyon in their article "Regional Die-Production in Cnut's Quatrefoil Issue" These dies were therefore cut in London and sent to Cambridge. Despite Canute being essentially a Viking King from overseas, the coinages of England continued in a similar vein to those of Aethelred II, in that the types changed every six years, meaning there are three main types for this reign, of which the quatrefoil type was the first. According to North there were up to 74 mints in operation with perhaps four other enigmatic places that remain uncertain. North records fifteen different moneyers working at Cambridge in his reign through five types.

Canute could have been as young as 21 when he ascended the English throne after the 28^th November 1016 upon the death of Edmund "Ironside" at Oxford. Though Edmund son of Aethelred II had a younger brother and two infant sons his advisers recognized Canute as successor. Though his birth date is not known, Canute was a commander in his Father's army from 1012, and at first had to settle a number of uprisings amongst the nobility and others, which he quelled by maintaining a large army and navy from heavy taxation. He kept Wessex at first for himself whilst dividing up other areas for regional government under trusted Danish allies. Canute had married Aelfgifu daughter of Ealdorman Aelfhelm of Northumbria, but set her aside to marry Aethelred's widow Emma in 1017 who had fled to Normandy, and this latter union helped maintain the political continuity and tradition of English Kingship. Harald of Denmark died childless in 1018 and Canute used his English troops and finance to extend power to Scandanvia making his infant son Harthacanute titular Governor and heir of Denmark. Canute attempted to invade Sweden, and actually took Norway in 1028 having had a pilgrimage to Rome the year before. Canute left his eldest son by Aelfgifu, Swein to rule Norway and was now the most powerful King of England ever at this time and is likely when the apocryphal story of him trying to vainly order the coastal tide to turn and retreat in front of his courtiers emerged. However, Norway was lost by 1034, Canute did not respond, and he passed away suddenly at Shaftesbury in his mid-forties on the 12^th November 1035.

Cambridge was built beside a ford on the River Cam which was formerly known as the River Grante a tributary of the Ouse. On the coins of the Anglo-Saxon period the mint name is Grantebrycge. The Danes wintered here in 875 and burnt the town in 1010. King William I built the castle here in 1068 as a base against Hereward the Wake. In 1143 during the anarchy, the town was burnt by Geoffrey de Mandeville. Minting activity occurs here from the time of Edgar until King Stephen.

Provenance:

Ex Dr John Tooze Collection, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 163, 18^th September 2019, lot 1038.

Ex Collection of an English Doctor part II, Sovereign Rarities fixed price list online May 2022.