COIN HOARD

A slightly dispersed, but closely grouped, hoard of twenty Early Medieval silver coins dating c. AD 880-923.

A)
Obverse legend reads +AL FR ED RE. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads DIARV/ALD M<>, Moneyer is probably Diarwald (or possibly Diarvald). Die axis is 12 o'clock. Weight 1.50g, diameter is 20.4mm, thickness is 1.0mm.

B)
A penny of Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, AD 890-923. North number 254. Obverse legend reads +PLEGMVND ARCHIEP, the ND of Plegmund is ligated. Obverse shows DO/RO at centre. Reverse legend reads HVNFR/E Ð M<>. Moneyer is Hunfreth. Die axis is 12 o'clock. Weight 1.62g, diameter is 22.1mm, thickness is 1.1mm

C)
A penny of Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, AD 890-923. North number 254. Obverse legend reads +PLEGMVND ARCHIEP. Obverse shows DO/RO at centre. Reverse legend reads ELFSTA/N M<>. Moneyer is Elfstan. Die axis is 6 o'clock. Weight 1.31g, diameter is 21.1mm, thickness 0.9mm.

D)
A penny of Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, AD 890-923. North number 253. Obverse legend reads PLEGMVND ARCHIEP. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse reads HVNFR/E Ð M<>. Moneyer is Hunfreth. Die axis is 6 o'clock. Weight 1.57g, diameter is 21.9mm, thickness is 1.0mm.

E)
Obverse legend reads AELFRED REX DORO. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads E[..]EL[..]/AN M<>, moneyer is probably Ethelstan. Die axis is 3 o'clock. Weight is 1.44g, diameter is 21.2mm, thickness is 0.9mm

F)
Obverse legend reads AELFR[?E]+REX D-ORO. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads BIR[]/AD M<>, moneyer is possibly Birnwad or Birnwath, the NW or NV probably ligated. Die axis is 6 o'clock. Weight is 1.57g, diameter is 21.4mm, thickness is 0.7mm.

G)
Obverse legend reads [+A]ELFRED REX DORO. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads []AR[]/LD M<>. Die axis is 6 o'clock. Weight is 1.49g, diameter is 20.9mm, thickness is 0.9mm

H)
Obverse legend reads AL FR ED REX. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads HEREMOD M<>, the HE are ligated, pellets between. Moneyer is Heremod. Die axis is 9 o'clock. Weight is 1.52g, diameter is 20.0mm, thickness is 1.0mm.

I)
A penny of Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, AD 890-923. North number 253. Obverse legend is uncertain +PLEGMVND ARCHIEP, the ND of Plegmund is ligated. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads EDELV/LF M<> pellets between. Moneyer is EDELVLF, or probably Ethelulf - see North no.253, note 177.
Die axis is 9 o'clock. Weight is 1.47g, diameter is 21.9mm, thickness is 0.9mm

J)
I can't read obverse possibly +EL [F]R ED[]X. Reverse legend reads WIN/E M<> pellets between. The moneyer is Wine.
Die axis is uncertain but possibly 12 o'clock. Weight is 1.64g, diameter is 21.1mm, thickness is 0.8mm. It looks like fragments of two other coins adhere to the surface of this coin on the obverse side. This coin has a green copper colour covering the obverse surface of the flan.

K)
An unclear penny of Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, AD 890-923. North number 254. Obverse legend reads +P[LE]GMVND ARCHIEP, the ND of Plegmund is probably ligated but this is unclear. Obverse shows DO/RO at centre. Reverse legend is mostly illegible: [/..] M<>.
Die axis is 3 o'clock. Weight is 1.09g, diameter is 20.1mm, thickness is 1.0mm. Incomplete and very fragile, one part is only just remaining attached to the rest of the flan. This coin has a green copper colour staining the dried mud and or concretion product on both sides of the flan.

L)
A silver penny of a Viking invader copying coins, post AD c.880 of Alfred (AD 871-899). North number 475/1. Obverse legend reads +EL FR ED RE. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads GV Ð HERE pellets between. The moneyer is Guthere.
Die axis is 6 o'clock. Weight is 1.39g, diameter is 20.9mm, thickness is 0.8mm.

M)
A silver penny of Alfred (AD 871-899). North number 635-639 not further defined. Obverse legend reads [+]ELFRED REX DORO. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads DVNNI/NC MO<> pellets between. The moneyer is Dunninc.
Die axis is 12 o'clock. Weight is 1.34g, diameter is 20.0mm, thickness is 0.7mm.

N)
A silver penny of Alfred (AD 871-899). North number 635-639 not further defined. Obverse legend reads [+]ELFRED REX DORO. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads [BY]RNA/LD M<> pellets between. The moneyer is Byrnald.
Die axis is 9 o'clock. Weight is 1.44g, diameter is 20.9mm, thickness is 0.9mm.

O)
A silver penny of Alfred (AD 871-899). North number 635-639 not further defined. Obverse legend reads [+]ELFRED REX DORO. Obverse shows a small cross patee. Reverse legend reads BYRNA/LD M<> pellets between. The moneyer is Byrnald.
Die axis is 9 o'clock. Weight is 1.49g, diameter is 21.3mm, thickness is 1.1mm. A slight bit of the edge of the flan has broken off but this tiny fragment was handed in with the coin by the finder.

Coins A - I were found together.
Coins J & K were found together.
All other coins were found individually within the overall close area.

Notes: coins N & O - BYRNALD M<> could be Byrnard or Byrnelm or mix (see moneyers under Edward the Elder)

Discussion:

All of the coins are variants of the Two-Line type introduced by Alfred of Wessex (871-99) c. 879-80, following his second coinage reform, in which the weight of the coins was increased. Coins of this phase, which lasted for the remainder of his reign maintained the high silver quality introduced in his previous coinage reform. Coins were issued in the name of Alfred himself, and of (following a tradition dating back to the 8th century) Plegmund, archbishop of Canterbury (890-923). Of the coins in Alfred's name, some also carry the inscription DORO, short for Dorovernia (Canterbury). Of the nineteen coins with legible inscriptions, there are five literate coins in the name of Archbishop Plegmund, and nine in the name of Alfred with a Canterbury mint signature. Of those without an explicit Canterbury association those issued by the moneyer Diarwald can also be linked to Canterbury, as he also issued coins with the DORO mint signature. Thus at least 75% of the coins in the hoard were minted in Canterbury, despite the fact that Canterbury was only one of a number of mints at which coins were struck during Alfred's reign. This strongly suggests that the hoard was largely assembled in Kent, as this proportion is not representative of Alfred's coinage in general.

In addition to the coins in the names of Alfred and Plegmund, there is one with a blundered (illiterate) inscription, with elements which seems to be inspired both by the inscription PLEGMVND ARCHIEP on coins of Archbishop Plegmund, and the DORO found on some of the coins of Alfred. The most likely explanation of this is that the coin is an Anglo-Viking imitation, as coins of this phase of Alfred's reign were widely imitated in the areas of northern and eastern England settled by the Vikings. However, Anglo-Viking imitations of this phase are typically struck at a lower weight than official Anglo-Saxon issues, whereas this coin is full weight, so although the weight distinction is a tendency rather than a hard and fast rule, it is also possible that this is an unofficial imitation from an area under Alfred's rule. It is also notable that none of the coins in the hoard have the visible 'peck' marks characteristic of coins which have passed through Viking hands, indicating that they have been tested with knives to establish that they were good silver. However, the coins have not yet been fully conserved, and it is possible that peck marks may be currently be hidden beneath surface corrosion on some of the coins.

The location of the hoard is interesting, given its date and character. A surviving treaty between Alfred and Athelstan/Guthrum, the Viking ruler of East Anglia sets the boundary between their respective territories. The exact date of the treaty is disputed, but it must be between c. 879 and the death of Athelstan/Guthrum in 890, and probably in the early part of that period. The coins of Plegmund provide a tpq of 890 for the hoard, which thus probably postdates the death of Guthrum, However, there is no evidence to suggest that the political situation changed radically following the death of Guthrum, with East Anglia retaining its independence, apparently still under rulers of Viking origins. The treaty may thus still have been current at the time that the hoard was deposited. The treaty specifies that the boundary runs up on the Thames, and then up on the Lea unto its source [near Leagrave], then straight to Bedford, then up on the Ouse to Watling Street. This would place the location of the hoard in Viking territory rather than Alfred's (although quite close to the border), but there are no coins in Guthrum's name (although these are known to have been issued in the Two-Line phase), and the character of the hoard is predominantly Anglo-Saxon rather than Viking. The treaty makes explicit reference to trade across the border between the two kingdoms, and this may explain the presence of a hoard of Anglo-Saxon character on the wrong side of the border at this time. Alternatively, Guthrum's coins may all have dated from earlier in the 880s, and may no longer have been widely current by the 890s.