Reproduction Coenwulf Gold Penny (Mancus)

This magnificent coin is a copy of the unique Coenwulf, King of Mercia (796-821) Gold Penny or Mancus of 30 pence. The original coin was sold at the Spink Coinex sale in October 2004 to a private collector for a record-breaking price of £230,000 and was later purchased by the British Museum for a staggering £350,000 in February 2006. It is described as follows:

Obverse: Bust of King Coenwulf facing right, with a diadem in his hair, finely drawn with four horizontal lines on the shoulders, the drapery devolved from a Roman prototype, dividing obverse legend. Text around, starting at 12 o’clock +COENVVLF REX M (‘Coenwulf King of the Mercian’s).

Reverse: Rosette developed from a cross over a cross moline, no inner circles, initial cross of four wedges with centre pellet. Text around +DE VICO LVNDONIAE (‘From the wic of London’).

History: This highly significant coin, the first new Anglo-Saxon gold penny to come to light for one hundred years, is a remarkable addition to the very select group of seven gold coins (the others now in museum collections).

This Coenwulf Gold Penny is:

• Unique as the only gold coin in the name of Coenwulf of Mercia (796-821).
• Unique as the only purpose made Anglo-Saxon gold penny of clearly regal design.
• Unique as the only gold coin with a London mint signature to be struck between the gold shillings of c. AD 630 and Henry III's gold penny of 20 pence of 1257.
• Unique as the only English coin of any type to refer to the important extra-mural commercial settlement of Lundenwic.

The Coenwulf gold penny / mancus is the most stunning and attractive of all Anglo-Saxon coins and is an icon of Anglo-Saxon coinage.

Date: Issued in London c.805-10

Diameter: c.20 mm