Sale: CNG 64, Lot: 1616. Estimate $400.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 24 September 2003.  Sold For $340. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ANGLO-SAXON. Cnut. 1016-1035. AR Penny (1.59 gm). Imitation of Quatrefoil type of Oxford(?) mint; Wulfmær, moneyer. + CNVT REX ANGORVM (sic), crowned bust left / + PVLFMER MON OX(?):, voided long cross on quatrefoil with pellet at each apex. SCBI Copenhagen -; BMC -; cf. North 781; cf. SCBC 1157. Toned EF. ($400)

From the William J. Conte Collection.

While on its face this coin appears to be an issue from Oxford, a number of factors indicate that this coin is in fact a contemporary imitation. The coin has several peculiarities; Wulfmaer does not appear in this form on the coinage, and neither does 'MON' on any published coins of Oxford during this issue. Also, the rendering of the abbreviation of the mint is highly unusual; the letters O and X (or a cross) appear elsewhere in the legends in perfect form, but here they are almost unreadable, and there is no lack of adequate space. No other possible mint signature can be discerned from these marks. Additionally, the style of the obverse is dissimilar to any published Oxford pieces, and departs from the norm with respect to the rendering of the quatrefoil and lettering at most of the 19 regional centres that produced dies for this issue (cf. M. Blackburn and S. Lyon, "Regional die-production in Cnut's Quatrefoil issue" in Anglo-Saxon Monetary History (Leicester UP, 1986)). Finally, while not unprecedented, the misspelling of ANGLORVM taken in sum with the other factors leads to a conclusion that this is an imitative issue.