Saxon Coin

Believe it reads EthILBERHT REX. I'm looking to see if any replica Æthelbert coins match it, though.

Well, if nothing else, this has been a fun exploration into the earliest of English coins and their earliest collectors! Though a very different coin, the spelling of the monarch's name, with the "thorn" or "eth" letter for "th", the IL (though the L is right side up!), and the H ligatured to the T, comes closest to this:


A coin with a checkered past, it was originally in a collection in the 1790's, attributed to Æthelbert II, king of Kent, then its authenticity was questioned in an 1825 article, as its original collector was a friend of the notorious John White, who plagued 18th century numismatists with forgeries of Saxon coins. It was then acquired by the British Museum, for the paltry sum of one pound eight shillings, perhaps to go into their Black Cabinet of forgeries (wouldn't that be fun to explore!), but an 1845 publication proposed it was genuine, but perhaps actually of the later Æthelbert of Wessex, and noted a couple more specimens having turned up. Don't know where opinion stands on it now.

Wow! Do they think that's a four-letter moneyers' name on the reverse, or just part of the design?

Hi the coin above was found by me whilst metal detecting my first saxon coin, as Finder says I took it to the fitzwilliam museum and it has been confirmed as a new coin for aethelbert11 king of east anglia by dr Martin Allen and dr Rory Naismith . The coin is now going to auction in June with DNW only the fourth coin found by this king same moneyer as the others LUL and the only coin with Rex on the same side as the kings name,

Thanks yes aparently mr lul had a very long career for the dark ages lol