Viking Danelaw issue of Alfred the Great Portrait Penny, Londonia monogram

Alfred the Great (871-899), silver Penny, portrait type, Southern Danelaw issue (c.880-910), London Monogram reverse, double diademed tall portrait facing right, wearing tunic made up of curved horizontal beaded lines, legend and outer beaded circle at rim surrounding, legend commences at lower left, ELFR ÆD REX, rev. the Londonia Monogram, cross pattée above, four cruciform pellets below, outer beaded circle surrounding, weight 1.42g (Mackay Danelaw A1 -1 - O1/R1, pl.4 - 58 this coin; reverse B.M.C. type VII; N.463; S.964). Toned, a touch off-centre, some discoloration from soil and surface stress marks around chin, cut on cheek, very fine, extremely rare, more so perhaps than Alfred's own moneyers issues.

The portrait silver Penny with the monogram of Londonia on the reverse has always been the most desirable type coin of Alfred for any collector to attain in their collection. The example demonstrated here has an exceptionally well detailed portrait and reverse. For further reference see "The London Monogram Coinage of Alfred the Great and the Danelaw" by William A. Mackay, British Numismatic Journal, volume 89, 2019, pages 19-107 where such contemporary Danelaw imitations are also listed.

The obverse Latin legend translates as "Alfred King" on this superb portrait Penny which is coupled with the Londonia Monogram, the most desirable type of all the Alfred the Great Pennies.

Alfred the Great was the key monarchal figure in the survival of the Kingdom of Wessex at the time of the Viking invasions and for that reason is seen by some as the first King of Anglo Saxon England. Born circa 848 he was perhaps 23 by the time he ascended the throne of Wessex in April 871, after Viking invasions were responsible for the death of Aethelred I. Various skirmishes and battles with the Vikings followed across Wessex in succeeding years where the legend of Alfred burning the poor cottager's cakes and accepting her subsequent scolding stems from, whilst he was travelling incognito. Victories followed and by 878 after a division of the country with Guthrum the Dane, Alfred was set up the fortified town "burgh" system across Wessex. By 886 he had finally taken and fortified the Capital City of London, from whence forth a coin as we have offered here would have been struck. Alfred also commissioned the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and is portrayed as one of the most significant rulers of the time. He died on the 26^th October 899 aged circa 52.

Provenance:

Found Ely, Cambridgeshire, 2004.

Coin Register 2005, no.160.