Description
Denomination: Viking Silver penny
Period: Anglo-Viking, England under Danish rule
Date: AD 885-915
Origin: Danish controlled East Anglia
Condition: EF, scarce coin and even more scarce moneyer, cabinet toned, slight wrinkling
Obverse: Central top-barred A, wreath around, +S(laying sideways)CEA+DI around = +SC EADMVND RE = S[an]C[te] Eadmunde King
Reverse: Small cross within wreath, +BADI MOI (=made by Badi or Badi’s money [Smart considered is could be the moneyer Bado from earlier issues])
Size and Weight: 18mm, 1.36g
References: cf Blackburn’s Viking Coinage in British Isles, p275 numbers 12 & 13; N 483; Spink 960
Features and Provenance: Property of a Colchester collector.
Blackburn mentions that there are very few known examples of this variety of St. Edmund penny, he mentions two for this moneyer and a few others (SCBI Cam 458 being one) with slightly differing reverses. Smart considers BADI a corruption of BADO a moneyer seen on some earlier coins.
This coin is known as a ‘St. Edmund Memorial Penny’ and ostensibly issued by the Vikings in East Anglia to appeal to the Christians who considered their murdered King Edmund as a saint. About 20 years earlier in 869 Edmund had been captured in battle, and the story goes that he was riddled with arrows to test his beliefs, as he would not denounce his god. He was then decapitated and his head was thrown into the forest. Later on searchers found the head by following the baying of wolves saying hic, hic, hic (here, here, here!). After some while he was finally put to rest in a shrine in Beodricesworth, now known as Bury St Edmunds. As an act of appeasement, this coin was released.
Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between
Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear
Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of legend etc present. visible and clear
Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present. but maybe worn
Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible
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