Harthacanute Penny, Arm & Sceptre type, Lincoln Mint, Moneyer Wulfnoth

Harthacanute (1035-42), silver Penny, arm and sceptre type (1040-42), Lincoln Mint, Moneyer Wulfnoth, diademed bust left with arm and sceptre, legend commences at top in full name, +HARD CNV RE, rev pellet at centre of quadrilateral with pellets on apexes, all over short voided cross which meets inner linear circle, legend and outer beaded border surrounding, +P.VLNOÐ ON LINCOL, weight 1.17g (SCBI Stockholm 40:1655; BMC type II; Parsons -; N.811; S.1168). Toned with a peck mark or two each side, otherwise good very fine and rare with an old provenance.

The legends translate as "Harthacanute King" on obverse and on the reverse "Wulfnoth of Lincoln."

Of the 21 reverse legend readings for Lincoln Mint that H. A. Parsons records in his article "The Anglo-Saxon Coins of Harthacnut" British Numismatic Journal volume 11, 1915, none are for Wulfnoth and the most similar name he records is Wulfbeorn. According to North the Lincoln Mint operated with up to 23 moneyers in this reign through two types.

Harthacanute was the only son from the union of Canute and Emma widow of King Aethelred II who had married in 1017 and he was presumably born in 1018. He became nominal ruler of Denmark in 1023 around the age of 5 with Thorkell the Tall as regent, and subsequently absent from England for most of his life. When his Father Canute died in 1035 Harthacanute was 17 years of age but could not leave Denmark for fear of invasion from Norway. In England he had support for Kingship from Godwin of Wessex and his mother Emma in Winchester. Subsequently in 1037 Godwin crossed over to side with Harold, and Emma fled across the channel to Bruges, where Harthacanute eventually joined her with his fleet in late 1039. After agreeing terms with Magnus of Norway on the basis as they were both childless, that whoever passed away first would inherit the other's Kingdom. Subsequently Magnus outlived Harthacanute and would later claim that their regnal agreement included England as well as Denmark. It was at this time that Emma brought her son by Aethelred II Edward, later the Confessor, to meet with Harthacanute. Before the fleet could embark Harold died in March of 1040 avoiding any conflict. Harthacanute was crowned on the 18^th June 1040 at Canterbury and named Edward as his heir in 1041. Harthacanute died suddenly on the 8^th June 1042 after imbibing too much at a wedding celebration aged circa 24.

The City of Lincoln situated on the north bank of the River Witham some 33 miles north east of Nottingham was occupied by the Danes in 918 but the army there submitted to Edward the Elder and in 942 was one of the Five Boroughs. William I built a castle here in 1067 and the minster of St Mary was taken by Remigius of Dorchester as his cathedral in 1072. Later Rannulf the Earl of Chester and William de Roumare Earl of Loncoln, seized the castle to hold against King Stephen in 1140. The King besieged the castle and was captured in defeat at the Battle of Lincoln with the town sacked and burnt. The castle was later surrendered to Stephen by Rannulf who three years later granted it back to him.

Minting activity is thought to commence here with the "St Martin" coinage and then from Eadred to Henry III. In the middle of the reign of Henry I the signature of the Lincoln Mint changes to NICOLE until the end of Stephen's first type and in some later short cross coinage, this being a French name for the city seen in some mediaeval documents, with Lincolnia being the name in Latin.

Provenance:

Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, March 1975, item 2011.

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