ANGLO-SAXON. Harthacnut, joint rule with Harold I. Nov. 1035 - early 1037. AR penny, English mint. 1.014 gm. 17 mm. Earlier Jewel Cross type in the name of Harthacnut. Stamford mint, Lifinc moneyer. Diademed bust left (North fig. 2); +HARDACNVT RE around (Same die as SCBI 40, Stockholm, 84; London, Leofred moneyer) / Jewel cross; +LIFNC ONN STANF around. S. 1166. N. 809. BMC Type i. Extremely Fine; essentially as made; typical slight waviness; single peck mark on obverse; attractive light blue gray toning over fresh surfaces; particularly clear strike. Extremely Rare.

The joint reign of Harthacnut and Harold I began after the death of Cnut in the autumn of 1035 and ended when Harold I assumed sole power in early 1037. During that period Harthacnut's power was predominantly south of the Thames and Harold dominated to the north.

In an article in Anglo Saxon Monetary History (Leicester Univ. Press 1986, a festschrift for Michael Dolley) Tuukka Talvio shows that the distribution of mints for the jewel cross pennies of the era bore out this division of territory. Through careful analysis supported by charts of mints and moneyers, he points out that few coins of Harold came from southern mints during the era concluding "Clearly Harthacnut's party had real power over their territory" though adding "but this cannot have lasted long to judge from the scarcity of their coins."

There were other varieties of Harthacnut northern mint issues though all were rare as well "with the exception of Gloucester, a mint which seems to have sided with Harthacnut's party," but these were issues with right facing busts. Coins with a left facing bust, Talvio points out, "are totally lacking in the north, and they are distinctly rare even in the south."

This coin and a York coin (SCBI St. Petersburg 881) are two exceptions to the "totally lacking" conclusion. More to the point, they are "apparently 'treaty breaching' coins" to quote the collector and numismatic scholar who kindly first referred me to the Talvio article. The article is worth reading in its entirety because it demonstrates how we can gain insight into significant historical circumstances by careful study of numismatic data. (AD)