Canute Penny, Quatrefoil type, Southwark, Aelfweard, ex Tooze and English Doctor

Canute (1016-35), silver quatrefoil Penny (c.1017-25), Southwark Mint, Moneyer Aelfweard, crowned and draped bust left within quatrefoil, legend surrounding commences at lower left, +CNVT REX ANGLORI, rev. pellet at centre of voided long cross, over quatrefoil with pellet cusps, legend surrounding, +ELP PERD MOS VÐE, weight 1.03g (SCBI Copenhagen 15:3697; BMC type VIII; N.781; S.1157). Lightly toned almost extremely fine.

The legends translate as "Canute King of the English" on obverse and on the reverse "Aelfweard of Southwark."

This coin is of the London A style at its mid-phase, as defined by Blackburn and Lyon in their article "Regional Die Production in Cnut's Quatrefoil Issue." These dies were therefore cut at London and sent the short distance to Southwark to utilise. 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. Southwark operated with up to 23 moneyers in this reign through all 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.

Southwark Mint on the south bank of the Thames separate from the City of London is mentioned in the Burghal Hidage and is part of old Surrey. The town was burnt by William the Conqueror in 1066 with minting activity from the reign of Aethelred II until Stephen with a burst of later minting activity occurring in the Tudor period.

Provenance:

Ex Dr John Tooze Collection, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 163, 18^th September 2019, lot 1041.

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