Eadwig, Penny, three line type, Chester Mint, monyer Freotheric

Eadwig (955-959), silver Penny, non-portrait three-line type, Horizontal type with rosettes, North Western style, moneyer Freotheric, small cross pattée, legend with inner and outer linear circles surrounding, outer beaded border around rim both sides, legend commences upper right, +EADVVIGE R, rev. central cross pattée, rosette of pellets above and below moneyer name in three lines, FROÐ / OE + NO / RICH, linear outer and beaded circle surrounding, weight 1.43g (cf. BMC I, 24; CTCE 131; SCBI 34:840 British Museum; N.730; S.1123). Evenly toned, good very fine and extremely rare.

The Coinage of Tenth Century England by Blunt, Stewart and Lyon gives this coin as Horizontal type 3 with rosettes of pellets, North-Western style from Chester, moneyer Freotheric as number 131.

The elder of the two sons of Eadmund and nephew of Eadred, Eadwig was still a boy of 14 years of age when he ascended the throne in November of 955 and barely a man by the time of his death aged around 18 in 959. Not much is known of his reign as the north remained quiet as Eric Bloodaxe was dead and the Dublin Kings were otherwise occupied. However, political struggles dominated the Royal court as the young Eadwig fell out with Bishop Dunstan from the time of his Coronation banquet, and his young wife convinced Eadwig to exile Dunstan. Later in 957 the leading men of Mercia and Northumbria revolted favoring Eadwig's young brother Eadgar for the succession. Dunstan joined with Eadgar and Eadwig's rule was reduced to Wessex only. This induced him to have his marriage annulled and to take a more aristocratic wife in 958, however all was in vain, as he passed away on the 1^st October 959 leaving the Kingdom to Eadgar.

The legends translate on obverse as "Eadwig King" and reverse "Freotheric Moneyer".

Provenance:

Ex L. V. Larsen, of Coshocton Ohio USA, Glendining, 1^st November 1972, lot 22 sold for £190.

Purchased from A. H. Baldwin, May 2005.

Ex A Collection of Tenth Century Pennies, the Property of a Gentleman, Spink Coin Auction 26^th September 2012, lot 530.

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