The Dr. Andrew Wayne Collection of Anglo-Saxon Coins
Part Three
And Other Important Properties
Triton XX, Lot: 1463. Estimate $30000.
Sold for $90000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. |
|
ANGLO-SAXON, Crondall phase. Eadbald. King of Kent, 616-640. AV Thrymsa – Shilling (11mm, 1.27 g, 6h). Type VI.T.i. London mint. AVD[VABLD RE]GE(S) (S retrograde), diademed and draped bust right; cross to right / + TINVII(R)AZZOEHV(S) (R inverted, retrograde; S retrograde), cross on globe within beaded circle. Sutherland 77–8 var. (same obv. die); A&W type V.xv, 306 = SCBI 63 (BM), 10 (same dies; this coin mentioned); Metcalf 50 var. (rev. legend, same obv. die); EMC 2010.0147 = Coin Register 2011, 76 (this coin); North 29; SCBC 758 (this coin illustrated). EF, very slightly double struck on obverse, on a full flan with an attractive golden tone. Extremely rare and of great historical interest; the first English king to be named on a coin.
From the Dr. Andrew Wayne Collection. Ex Spink 203 (24 June 2010), lot 1 and front cover; found near Deal, Kent, January 2010.
The first and only king to be named on a coin in this period, Eadbald’s succession to the Kentish throne proved a considerable set back to the nascent English Church established by St Augustine during the reign of Aethelberht, Eadbald’s father, the first Anglo-Saxon king to be baptized. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 616 relates that Eabald ‘abondoned his baptism and lived by heathen custom, inasmuch as he had his father’s widow as wife. Then Laurentius, who was Archbishop in Kent, decided to go south across the sea to Rome and abandon it all: but the apostle Peter came to him in the night and fiercely scourged him because he wished to abandon God’s flock thus, and ordered him to go to the king and preach the true faith to him. And he did so and the king was baptized.’ Eadbald would go on to rule for 25 years during which time he successfully maintained Kentish independence against the growing power of Northumbria, helped foster the growth of the English Church and retain relations with Merovingian Gaul. Eight coins naming Eadbald are known of which only this piece and one other are in private hands.
The Standard Catalogue of British Coins (50th edition) plate coin.
