Description
Edward the Confessor (1042-66), Penny, Hammer cross type (1059-62), Leicester mint, moneyer Aegelric. Crowned and draped bust right with sceptre, legend commences +EΛDPΛR RD REX. Rev, pellet in centre of voided cross with hammer pellet terminals, legend surrounding, +ÆLRIC ON LEH•RECE, 1.31g (S.1182; N.828; BMC XI; SCBI 17 [Midlands Museums] 447).
Mild wave to flan, dark even toning, few soft areas in strike with a neatly well proportioned portrait. The mint for type considered very rare, with only two others surfacing in the past twenty years (cf., Spink, 24th September 2013, Auction 13014, lot 178 – their example issued by Aegelwine, noted here also as ‘very rare for this mint’; the Lockett lot 3817/ Eaglen example also went to hammer via Spinks on the 22nd March 2016 with Aegelric). About very fine, very rare. Essential as an academic example to the staunch Leicester mint collector.
Root moneyer name being Ætheric, frequently in late Old English [OE] and post conquest legends, the OE Æthel- and Ælf- > Ægel; in this instance the Ægelric shortens further down to ÆLRIC in the moneyer signature. [see, SCBI 28 ‘Cumulative Index of volumes 1-20’ Dr V. Smart, page 1 & 10 for the SCBI 17/ #447 moneyer-mint match signature].
