HOARD

A hoard of 37 ninth-century Northumbrian copper pennies (known as stycas) minted during the reigns of four kings of pre-Viking Northumbria: Eanred (reigned c. 810-840), Æthelred II (reigned c.840-c.848, interrupted in 844),  Redwulf (reigned 844)and Osberht (reigned c.848-867).

These coins were produced in significant quantities from the late eighth to later ninth centuries, before coming to an end during the reign of King Osberht (who was killed during attempts to recapture York from a Viking army in 867). Stycas are known from hoards and Viking contexts both within and without the boundaries of Northumbria.

The presence of a single coin of Osberht means that the hoard cannot have been deposited any earlier than  c. 848. It is possible, though not yet tested, that some derivative (blundered) issues were produced after the reign of Osberht – possibly as Viking imitations of the Northumbrian coinage or as ‘unofficial’ native issues in the interregnum after 867.[1]

Catalogue of the Wharton Hoard

Coins are grouped by issuing authority and listed chronologically by type and then alphabetically by moneyer. Each coin is numbered according to its position in the catalogue, with the original numbering of the hoard in brackets. The Information for each coin is arranged as follows:

Moneyer; obverse inscription; reverse inscription; type (North); weight (g); diameter (mm); die axis (o’clock)

Note that blundered inscriptions in unofficial issues make it difficult to distinguish obverse from reverse.  

Eanred (reigned c. 810-840)

(3)        Daegberht; +EANREDREX; +DAEGBERCT; N186; 0.98; 13.2; 9

(14)      Eardwulf; +EANREDR (retrograde); +EARDVVL (retrograde); N186; 1.02; 12.7; 12

(35)      Monne; +EANREDREX; +MONNE (retrograde; E reversed);N186; 0.88; 12.7; 12

Eanred, derivative issues (mid ninth-century)

(10)      moneyer uncertain; +E[A?]N[R?-]E[--];+AD(reversed)V[P(reversed)?]-V[I?]; derivative type; 1.27; 13.8; ?

(34)      moneyer uncertain; +EANREDRE; +R(?inverted)AD(reversed)VTEIϨ; derivative type; 1.02; 13.0; 12

Æthelred II (first reign, c.840-c.844)

(2)        Alghere; +AEDILREDRX (RX ligated); +ALGHERE; N188; 0.84; 14.6; 12

(24)      Ethelweard; illegible; +EDILV[EAR]D; N188; 0.72; 13.2; ?

(8)        Fordred; +E[DI/ELR]EDRE; +FORDRED; N188; 1.02; 13.8; 12

(37)      Fordred; +EDILR(reversed)EDIIEX; +FORDRED (retrograde); N188; 1.15; 13; 6

(11)      Leofthegn; +EDELREDR--; +LEOF[THEGN]; N188; 0.80; 12.3; 3

 (15)     Leofthegn; +EDILREDRE; +LEOFDEGX; N188; 1.10; 13.3; 7

(16)      Monne; +EDEL[---]REX; +MONИE; N188; 1.08; 13.0; 9

(20)      Monne; +EDLIR[E]DRE; +MON; N188; 1.00; 13.7; 9

(32)      Monne; +EDELREDREX; +MONИE; N188; 0.84; 14.1; 9

(26)      Wihtred; EDELREDRX (RX ligated); +DIHTRED; N188; 1.02; 13.1; 9

(13)      moneyer uncertain (Tidwulf/Eanwulf/Eardwulf?); +EDILRE[D?]REX; +[----]VVF (retrograde); N188; 0.96; 12.7; 10

 (27)     moneyer uncertain (Eadred?); +EDIL[RED]REX; +E[A?]--RED; N188; 0.9; 13.9; 12

Redwulf (reigned c.844)

(31)      Hwaetnoth; +REDVVLFREX; +HVAETNDD (retrograde?); N189; 0.90; 13.2; 12

Æthelred II (second reign, c.844-c.848)

(1)        Eardwulf; +EDILR[EDREX] (retrograde); +EARDVVLF; N190; 0.88; 12.9; 12

(6)        Eardwulf; +EDILREDREX; +EARDVVLF; N190; 0.95; 13.6; 3

(17)      Eardwulf; +EDILREDR; +EARD[--]LF; N190; 0.98; 12.3; 4

(18)      Eardwulf; +EDIL.REDRE; +EARDVVLF; N190; 0.97; 13.4; 9

(21)      Eardwulf; +EDILREDRE; +EARDVVLF; N190; 0.92; 13.2; 12

(22)      Eardwulf; +EDILREDRE¬; +EARDVVLF; N190; 0.76; 12.6; 7

(23)      Eardwulf; +EDILREDREX; +EARDVVLF.; N190; 1.01; 13.2; 6

(29)      Eardwulf; +EDIL[REDR]EX; +EARDVVLF; N190; 0.75; 12.5; 9

(30)      Odilo; +ED---------; OD---- (retrograde?); N190;1.01;14.1; ?

Æthelred II, uncertain issue (c.840-c.848)

(25)      moneyer uncertain; EDILREDREX; illegible; 1.03; 13.5; ?

Æthelred II, derivative and unofficial issues (mid ninth-century)

(5)        moneyer uncertain; +EDLIREDRE; +ΛΛГEϨIC; derivative type; 1.09; 12.6; 6

(19)      moneyer uncertain; +EDIL[DE?--]; +OIA[---]; derivative type; 1.03; 13.4; 3

(33)      moneyer uncertain; +EDILREDRE; +EDIL:REDRE; N190; 1.07; 12.8; 6  (twin obverse dies)

Osberht (reigned c.848-867)

(36)      Eanwulf; OϨB----REX; +EANNLF (after initial E: retrograde, inverted]; N191; 0.74; 13.9; 8 (considerable empty space in inscription)

Unofficial issues

(4)        moneyer uncertain; +EVVVVIV (retrograde); +EDΠ(R?)+D[-]VIL; derivative type; 0.79; 12.7; 9

(7)        moneyer uncertain; +CI (or D reversed) [Π?] Ⅎ (or E reversed and truncated) VVV; +[--] EDI.VVEI; derivative type; 0.67; 13.7; 12

(9)        moneyer uncertain; +VЯII:.IV ; +ADVI; derivative type; 0.65; 13.2; 12

(12)      moneyer uncertain; +PΛ.DE(reversed)HE(reversed); +VDVH; derivative type; 0.92; 13.6; 3 ;

(28)      moneyer uncertain; [D?]NNLVRE---;ORE; derivative type; 1.05; 12.3; ?

[1] G. Williams, 2014. Coins and Currency in Viking England, AD 865-954. In: Naismith, R., Allen, M. and Screen, E., 2014. Early Medieval Monetary History: Studies in Memory of Mark Blackburn. Abingdon: Routledge. 399-408