Heritage World Coin Auctions
Long Beach Signature Sale 3035 3-5 September 2014
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Great Britain
Kings of Mercia. Offa (757-96) Penny c.780-92 VF30 NGC, London or Canterbury mint, Pendred as moneyer, Light coinage, Bust Type Ec, S-905, North-302 (VR). (Serpent) OFFA• | •R•EX•, bare-headed bust right / +P | ЄN | DR | ЄD, floriate cross with lozenge center reverse type, the moneyer's name distributed through the angles. Despite light circulation wear and some softness of strike to the higher details, this is a fabulous example of Offa's portrait series. The gray tone darkens nicely into recessed areas while the highpoints remain light, the beaded border being clearly full on the obverse and near-complete on the reverse. Overall, an exceptional specimen on a flan of good metal.A contemporary of Charlemagne, Offa was one of the most powerful Anglo-Saxon kings prior to Alfred the Great. A dispute with Jaenberht, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the early 760's, may have led to Offa's intervention in Kent resulting in an overlordship which lasted until his death in 796. During this period, he made use of mints at both London and Canterbury with attributions to either mint based upon moneyers being mostly tentative. The base of operations for Pendred is not known, although coincidentally he is the moneyer for one of two known gold Pennies of Offa, a copy of an Aureus of Augustus.
Estimate: 6000-8000 USD
Kings of Mercia. Offa (757-96) Penny c.780-92 VF30 NGC, London or Canterbury mint, Pendred as moneyer, Light coinage, Bust Type Ec, S-905, North-302 (VR). (Serpent) OFFA• | •R•EX•, bare-headed bust right / +P | ЄN | DR | ЄD, floriate cross with lozenge center reverse type, the moneyer's name distributed through the angles. Despite light circulation wear and some softness of strike to the higher details, this is a fabulous example of Offa's portrait series. The gray tone darkens nicely into recessed areas while the highpoints remain light, the beaded border being clearly full on the obverse and near-complete on the reverse. Overall, an exceptional specimen on a flan of good metal.A contemporary of Charlemagne, Offa was one of the most powerful Anglo-Saxon kings prior to Alfred the Great. A dispute with Jaenberht, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the early 760's, may have led to Offa's intervention in Kent resulting in an overlordship which lasted until his death in 796. During this period, he made use of mints at both London and Canterbury with attributions to either mint based upon moneyers being mostly tentative. The base of operations for Pendred is not known, although coincidentally he is the moneyer for one of two known gold Pennies of Offa, a copy of an Aureus of Augustus.
Estimate: 6000-8000 USD