COLLECTION OF AN ENGLISH DOCTOR, PART ONE

 

We at Sovereign Rarities have been very excited and privileged to receive the first part of The Collection of an English Doctor to offer for sale through our website www.sovr.co.uk at fixed prices. Formed by a very discerning collector of many years standing, this English collection formed diligently over the last few years, aims to illustrate the history of the English silver Penny, with the criteria being to collect as many mints and moneyers as possible in the time that was allowed.

The first part covers the early Anglo-Saxon period from when the Sceattas series ends with the first transitional piece of Beonna of East Anglia, and continues through the various Kings of the Heptarchy, with such famous names as Offa and Alfred the Great, as well as some Archbishop issues and more unusual reverse types and mints. The collection continues into Kings of all England with Aethelstan, Eadmund, Eadred, Eadwig and Edward the Martyr, with part one signing off with Aethelred II the unready with the whole part consisting of 83 good quality coins.

It can be difficult to pick highlight pieces especially when there are so many in such a large grouping, but the rarest and some unique pieces are clearly the most interesting, a top twenty as follows in Kingdom order:

 

Eadberht Praen (796-798), King of Kent, three-line type silver Penny, Canterbury Mint, moneyer Dudda, Naismith C.5.1a; S.875 EF, found Maidstone EMC 2016.0254 £25,000

 

Baldred (823-825), King of Kent, silver non-portrait Penny, Canterbury, moneyer Waerheard, S.880, chipped almost EF £7,500

 

Offa (757-796), King of Mercia, silver portrait Penny, light coinage, Moneyer, Ealhmund, Chick 37k, S.973, EF, found Luton area 1973 £25,000

 

Coenwulf (796-821), King of Mercia, silver portrait Penny, Canterbury Mint, moneyer Swefheard, Naismith C43c, S.916, almost EF, found Blandford Dorset before 1915 £8,500

 

Ludica (825-827), King of Mercia, silver portrait Penny, City of London issue, S.932A plate coin, UNIQUE, found Coombe Bissett, Wiltshire EMC 2016.0014 £75,000

 

Jaenberht, Archbishop of Canterbury (765-792), silver Penny with Offa as Overlord, moneyer Ethelnoth, Chick 120a, S.904, EF, Ex Phillips, Norweb and Stack Collections £7,500

 

Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury (805-832), silver portrait Penny, moneyer Luning, Naismith C57.2, S.890, EF, found Peterfield, Hampshire, EMC 2020.0204 £12,500

 

Beonna (749-757), King of East Anglia, silver Penny, Moneyer Efe, S.945. Good VF £6,500

 

Aethelstan (825-845) King of East Anglia, silver portrait Penny, Moneyer Monne, Naismith E31.1, S.949 EF, found West Norfolk EMC 2020.0244 £15,000

 

Alfred the Great (871-899) King of Wessex, Two Kings Type Penny, London, moneyer Beagstan, S.1059, Unique in private hands, found Shudy Camps, Cambridge, EMC 2019.0279 £25,000

 

Alfred the Great, Southern Danelaw Imitation (c.880-910), silver portrait Halfpenny, London Monogram type, Mackay 134; S.969 EF found Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge, EMC 2014.0101 £17,500

 

Edward the Elder (899-924) King of Wessex, flower type silver Penny, Moneyer Heremod, S.1078, good VF, one of only three known £12,500

 

Edward the Elder (899-924), silver portrait Penny, London, moneyer Igere, S.1084, a bold VF ex Vatican Hoard 1929, Lockett 3654, Mack and Williams £9,500

 

Aethelstan (924-939) King of England, building type silver Penny, moneyer Regnald, S.1101, a bold VF, ex Oldknow collection £15,000

 

Edward the Martyr (975-978), King of England, silver portrait Penny, Tamworth Mint, moneyer Deoroce, S.1142, EF, ex Duke of Argyll Collection £18,500

 

Aethelred II (978-1016), silver Benediction Hand Penny, Winchester, Moneyer Bruthnoth, S.1147, some pecks good VF £8,000

A series of extremely rare Mints in the reign of Aethelred II

 

Aethelred II (978-1016), silver first hand type Penny, Newark Mint, moneyer Aethelstan, S.1144, peck marked VF £5,750

 

Aethelred II (978-1016), silver small CRVX type Penny, Louth Mint, moneyer Drengr, S.1149, EF ex Millennium Hoard, Suffolk 2019 £15,000

 

Aethelred II (978-1016), silver small CRVX type Penny, Melton Mowbray Mint, moneyer Cetel, S.1149, EF ex Millennium Hoard, Suffolk 2019 £12,500

 

Aethelred II (978-1016), silver long cross Penny, Buckingham Mint, moneyer Aelfwi, S.1151, peck marked good VF, Ex R C Lockett 700 £6,500

Part one represents a highly important assembly of the most important and rare pieces to emerge for sale in the last few years, with a number of coins being only available to the market place in very limited numbers indeed, the opportunity to purchase is unrivalled and can be done by calling Sovereign Rarities on 0203-019-1185 or through our website at www.sovr.co.uk

Part two of the collection of an English Doctor will follow on in the coming months and will complete the series from King Canute through to the Tudors.

For more information, or to order, see:
https://www.sovr.co.uk/pages/the-collection-of-an-english-doctor

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