England Penny Aethelred II, 978–1016, Long Cross type, Exeter (Dunstan) AU/XF

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Obv: +EDELRED REX ANGL'
Rev: +DV NSTA NMiO EAXE
Moneyer: Dunstan

England / Exeter Aethelred II (978–1016) Long Cross Type Penny – A Numismatic Treasure

Introduction
Up for sale is this Exeter penny by Dunstan, a genuine survivor from the historic world of money. Referenced as S.1151 N.774, it weighs 1.35 g. The Long Cross type is the classic coin of the Viking Age in England and a cornerstone of any Anglo-Saxon collection. Collectors of the period will appreciate its authenticity and character.

Description
Anglo-Saxon silver penny of Aethelred II (978–1016), Long Cross type, struck at Exeter (EAXE) by the moneyer Dunstan. The obverse shows the diademed bust of the king to the left, surrounded by his name and title. On the reverse a long voided cross reaches the edge of the coin, each arm ending in three crescents, and divides the legend naming the moneyer and the mint. As usual, the obverse legend gives the king's name and title, and the reverse the moneyer and the mint. The hand-made production of the period gives each example a distinctive appearance. The strike has captured the essential details of the type, and the coin has a warm, natural patina.

Historical Context
Æthelred II came to the throne as a boy in 978 after the murder of his half-brother Edward the Martyr, and reigned, with a brief exile in Normandy in 1013–14, until 1016. His coinage was organised in a system of periodic recoinages, in which old types were withdrawn and new dies were issued from a few central die-cutting centres. The Long Cross type was one of the largest of these issues, and it was struck at small market towns as well as at the great boroughs. For historians the coins are an exceptional source, revealing the network of towns and the names of hundreds of moneyers. Exeter (EAXE), the chief town of Devon, was one of the busiest mints of the south-west, and its moneyers struck in most of Aethelred's types.

Numismatic Details
Like all English coins of the period, this is a silver penny, the only denomination struck in late Anglo-Saxon England. The reverse names the moneyer Dunstan, written DVNSTAN on the coin, together with the mint. The reference S.1151 N.774 refers to Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom and North, English Hammered Coinage. The Long Cross type was in use c. 997–1003. It is a well-documented type and a fine representative of its series.

Cultural and Political Symbolism
The design language of these pennies drew on Rome and on the Church. Royal portraits echoed late Roman emperors and claimed a share of their dignity, and the reverse crosses turned every coin into a small statement of Christian kingship. The careful naming of mint and moneyer shows a state that trusted written records and held officials to account. To modern collectors these features make each penny an individual document of the town and the man who struck it. The long cross also had a practical side, guiding the cutting of pennies into halfpennies and farthings.

Conclusion
In summary, this Exeter penny by Dunstan is an authentic and attractive piece of monetary history. Its catalogue reference makes it easy to place within the series. It represents its type in a pleasing and honest way. It will be a rewarding acquisition for collector and historian alike.

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