Electrotype of English hammered coinage. Kings of Mercia. Cynethryth, widow of Offa, 796. 757-796 (Offa). Penny electrotype. 17 mm. Moneyer: Eoba. BMC coin, 19.7 grains. Her bust right, hair in long curls; EOBA in front / T with a bar above in the center in a circle of pellets; CYNEDRYD around. BMC Vol I:61. Plate VIII:3. (this piece illustrated). Also, plate coin for Standard Catalog editions from 1962 until 2007). S. 458 (1962-1977). S. 909 (current). As made.

Electrotypes of Anglo-Saxon and English coins in the British Museum (joined into a double thick single piece). Many were used for the Standard Catalog prior to 2007.

These double-thick electrotypes of British Museum Anglo-Saxon and English hammered coins are direct copies of pieces in the British Museum and can be seen in the plates of the the two BMC volumes issued in 1887 and 1893: Keary & Poole, A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series Volume I, and Grueber & Keary, A Catalogue of English Coins in the British Museum, Anglo-Saxon Series Volume II.

These copies were used for the production of the reference that has become the standard for English coins, the Spink Standard Catalog. (Prior to 1998 the publication was known as the Seaby Standard Catalog.) Many of the pieces offered here are the pieces photographed for the annual catalogs from the small format 1962 edition until the major revision in the 42nd edition in 2007, when the catalog changed from black and white to color.

Prior to the larger size publications that began with the much expanded and renumbered 16th edition in 1978, the earlier editions beginning in 1962 were smaller 5 by 7 ½ inch books. Earlier still, prior to 1962 the publications were larger and thinner with drawings rather than photographs illustrating the coins.)

The electros are apparently extremely rare if not generally unique. I have seen a very few examples of other types in this format being offered but never a duplication of any offered here. (AD)