Impressive Pedigree - Dresser, Lockett, Bascom, Rashleigh, and Cuff Collections, and 1855 Hexham Hoard

Sale: CNG 75, Lot: 1472. Estimate $100.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 23 May 2007.  Sold For $270. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ANGLO-SAXON, Kings of Northumbria. Irregular issues. Circa 843/4-855. Æ Styca (1.51 g, 12h). Phase II, group Di. + • V • LEA REX, pellet-in-annulet / +HEID•EIA, cross pattée. Pirie -; North p. 72; SCBC 872. VF.

From the Beowulf Collection. Ex J. Dresser Collection (Stack’s, 4 May 1995), lot 2169; R.C. Lockett Collection (6 May 1955), lot 309; G.J. Bascom Collection (Sotheby, 15 June 1914), lot 38; E.W. Rashleigh Collection (Sotheby, 21 June 1909), lot 144; J.D. Cuff Collection (Sotheby, 8 June 1854), lot 366; 1833 Hexham Hoard.

The Hexham hoard was originally published by John Adamson in two articles in Archaeologia vols. XXV (1834) and XXVI (1836) (both reprinted in Archaeologia Aeliana vol. III, pt. II [1840]). In that article, Adamson attributed this particular coin to Aella, the brother and rival of King Osberht. The earlier sales records of this coin therefore list it as Aella. Later research, however, concluded that this coin was actually one of the irregular issues from the civil war period (see C.S.S. Lyon, “A reappraisal of the sceatta and styca coinage of Northumbria,” BNJ XXVIII (1955-7), pp. 227-42 [esp. p. 231, n. 2]).