I'm Back, And With A New Purchase

Just had to re-register the shift in server knocked me off due to the Æ confusing it. But I'm back now!


My latest purchase is an Eadmund (939-946) English silver penny, struck around 940 by the moneyer Osulf. Unlike most of my other Anglo-Saxon coins (mostly ex-hoard/detector finds) this one has not been cleaned, and retains a tone.

Eadmund was the king of England during a very turbulent period. With his accession the Viking raids restarted. His half-brother and predecessor Athelstan had managed to temporarily solve the Viking problem by inflicting a heavy defeat upon a Viking/Scottish coalition army at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937. Even prior to this event the Vikings had been wary of the king, but after that crushing defeat Athelstan had proved he was not a man to be messed with. The two years that followed were the most peaceful years England had seen for near a century. All this came to an abrupt end those with the king's untimely death.




Eadmund would have to start the fight all over again and prove that he was too tough to topple. He was fairly successful and won some victories and managed to keep himself on top. Unfortunately though Eadmund's reign was cut tragically short whilst at a feast. One of the king's officals ended up in a brawl with an outlawed thief. Eadmund went to his official's rescue (and to his own demise) by tackling the robber, unfortunately for Eadmund the theif had the upper hand as he had a concealed knife and promptly used it to stab the king to death.