Edward the Martyr Penny, Lincoln, Eanulf AU55

Edward the Martyr (975-978), silver Penny, Lincoln Mint, Moneyer Eanulf, draped portrait left, linear circle and legend with outer beaded circle surrounding both sides, +EADVVARD REX ANGLO, pellet in centre of final O, rev. small cross pattée, +EANVLF M-O LINDEOLE, weight 1.21g (BMC I, 13; SCBI 27:9-10 Lincoln; N.763; S.1142). Toned, with a couple of light weaknesses in legend with a great portrait, has been graded and slabbed by PCGS as AU55, very rare.

1.21 grams of 0.925 silver. Made in the UK.

HS Code: 9705 0000

PCGS Certification 895913.55/43021851

Eanulf was one of ten moneyers listed by North working at Lincoln, one of 35 mint towns named for Edward the Martyr, most of the mints being one moneyer only. Lincoln was the second most populous mint after nearby Stamford which had 14, for comparison London had 7 moneyers at this time.

Edward born circa 961, the eldest son of Eadgar was only 14 when he ascended the throne, his mother having died when he was a youngster. He was crowned on the 18^th July 975, however famine and pestilence shortly broke out in the Kingdom, as well as pillaging of monasteries blighting the new reign. Edward's Stepmother Aethelfryth the third wife of Eadgar also favored her youngest surviving son Aethelred for the throne as being "born in the purple" of Eadgar's reign. An unfortunate accident at a Royal council meeting at Calne in Wiltshire in early 978 where an upper storey of a building collapsed killing many important people did not help matters, Dunstan narrowly surviving as he was standing on a beam that withstood the collapse. On the 18^th March 978 Edward was murdered near Corfe Castle in Dorset, the legend being that upon visiting his Stepmother, one of her attendants (or even herself) stabbed him as he leant down from his horse to grasp a drink. The horse bolted and he either died from his wound or from falling from the horse aged around 18. Buried in haste at nearby Wareham it was not long before miracles began to occur in connection to his body and he was later reinterred at Shaftesbury and sanctified as Edward the Martyr.

Provenance:

Ex Ira and Larry Goldberg, Hollywood USA, Auction 5, April 2000, lot 4596.

Ex Paul Runze Collection.