Need help with an Anglo-Saxon penny

EVillageProwler · February 6, 2012 7:46AM

Please can someone tell me more about this coin I own? Specifically, which mint. It's an S-1182, from the reign of Edward the Confessor. TIA.

candy2012mustang · February 6, 2012 8:16AM

I don't know much about the coin - just posted about mine.. Is this graded by NGC? I'm debating NGC or PCGS for mine

Pokermandude · February 6, 2012 8:23AM

Does PCGS do hammered coins? I was under the impression that they only did milled coins.

ajaan · February 6, 2012 9:37AM

They did, and still do if you know the right people there. Greg Margulis seems to get them graded there.

RobP · February 6, 2012 9:51AM

<< Please can someone tell me more about this coin I own? Specifically, which mint. It's an S-1182, from the reign of Edward the Confessor. TIA.

>>

Edward the Confessor Hammer Cross penny from Winchester. The moneyer is Leofwold. EADPAR bottom of bust RDREX and LIOFPOLDONPINCEST with ligated N & C. Quite an attractive example, shame about the intruding prongs. The hammer cross issue tends to have a decent portrait as a rule whereas say the pyramid issue is frequently, but not necessarily, softly struck and woolly.

A few tips for reading the reverse, as this is the thing that causes most grief given most obverses are identifiable for type. Look for a cross somewhere in the legend. If it has one, the legend in most instances will read clockwise from the next letter. If there is no cross, the legend will usually start from a cross end or similar pointer. The exception to an initial cross being where there is an X in the mint name eg. EXETER OR AXBRIDGE (in whatever form it is written). Look for ON in the legend as most of the time this will be between the moneyer and the mint name. Beware of ligated letters, usually where an upright on the first letter shares the right side upright stroke with the subsequent letter. This can happen with any letters, even with rounded form such as ON where sometimes you see the curve of the O with the diagonal crossbar to the right hand upright of the N. One final word, remember that they were just as illiterate as some are today, so two or more spellings of what is nominally the same word can occur.

EVillageProwler · February 6, 2012 11:52AM

RobP,

You da man! Thanks!

So, on my coin, where ON ends and PIN begins is roughly where that peck mark conveniently points at?

And, finally, your comment about the workers' illiteracy made me chuckle because I was thinking about own illiteracy (of what you wrote) as I was reading your post.

Thanks again...

Edited to add: where the heck did you learn this stuff?!?
Edited to add: yes, shame about the prongs. I'm debating liberating the coin, but I did pay a princely sum for the privilege to be its current steward.

EVP

candy2012mustang · February 6, 2012 12:00PM

Whats the grade?

EVillageProwler · February 6, 2012 12:24PM

<< Whats the grade? >>

Graded by NGC. As for the actual number, does it matter? I suspect that its non-US grade would be "good EF, toned" or something like that.

candy2012mustang · February 6, 2012 12:49PM

What did NGC grade it as? Did they give it a number?

I know they do the strike/5 thing on ancients..

EVillageProwler · February 6, 2012 1:04PM

<< What did NGC grade it as? Did they give it a number?

I know they do the strike/5 thing on ancients.. >>

I don't mean to be difficult, but I prefer not to turn this into a GTG thread. I just want this thread to be about the coin. But, I will say that NGC gave it a non-details MS grade.

EVP

RobP · February 6, 2012 7:59PM

<< So, on my coin, where ON ends and PIN begins is roughly where that peck mark conveniently points at? >>

Yes

<< Edited to add: where the heck did you learn this stuff?!? >>

Get a library and read, then read a lot more. Reference books, sylloges, research articles, auction catalogues, if it has information in it, rarely will you find it irrelevant. Search the web for images of your chosen speciality. It isn't rocket science, just spadework. You can never have enough books.

In the case of Saxon and Norman pennies there have been articles written in the Numismatic Chronicle, Numismatic Circular and British Numismatic Journal for the past 150 years or more. For example, Ruding published a book in the early 1800s - The Coins of Great Britain, which outlined much of what is known today with the 3rd edition (1840) giving the contents of the Beaworth hoard of William PAXS pennies, all 6500 approx. of them mostly attributed for mint and moneyer. There have been many articles since then on nearly every conceivable topic. There is no shortage of information if you are prepared to look. Most can't be bothered or don't have the time.

Need help with an Anglo-Saxon penny

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