Description
Canute (1016-35), Penny, quatrefoil type (c.1017-23), Chester mint, moneyer Swegen, crowned and draped bust left within quatrefoil, legend surrounding commences at 12 o’clock, +CNVT REX ANGLORX. Rev, pellet at centre of voided long cross, over quatrefoil with pellet cusps, legend surrounding, +SPEGEN ON LEG, 1.33g (S.1157; N.781; SCBI 30 [American], 488 this coin; BMC.VIII).
Toned on a fully rounded flan with the toothed borders visible and distinct both sides. Some light die flaws evident with a vivid portrait. Rev, concise moneyer mint script with one soft area in the SP of moneyers name, reflected on the obverse. Near or about extremely fine for type. Hailing from one of the revered provenances in English numismatics in Norweb, equally passing through the hands of Seaby’s, Baldwin’s and Kunker.
This coin is an archetypal example of local Chester style dies in its later phase, as defined by Blackburn and Lyon in their article “Regional Die Production in Cnut’s Quatrefoil Issue.” [Anglo-Saxon Monetary History : Leicester University Press, Chapter XIII, pp223-272]. These dies were therefore cut at Chester, distinct in their design and employed for local use.
Ex B. A. Seaby Ltd, purchased by Mrs Norweb 1971 see SCBI 30:488
Ex Mrs E M H Norweb Collection, part IV, Spink Coin Auction 59, 17th June 1987, lot 1230
Ex Professor G W De Witt, Kunker Auction 137, Germany, 11th March 2008, lot 3093
Ex Baldwin Auction 77, 27th September 2012, lot 2545
Ex A H Baldwin, Fixed Price List, Summer 2014, item AS037