Mancus of Coenwulf, King of Mercia

Anglo-Saxon

British Museum

796-821

This coin appears to have been intended as a coin for common circulation rather than a presentation piece. A mancus has a nominal value of 30 silver pennies. The design on the obverse is derived from a late Roman imperial bust. The floral design on the reverse is unique in coinage of this period and there is an intriguing inscription, DE VICO LVNDONIAE meaning from the trading place of London.

• Medium: gold
• Dimensions: diameter: 2cm
• Art Fund Grant: £60000 ( Total: £357,832; Export stopped)
• ArtFunded in: 2006
• Vendor: Davissons Ltd

Provenance

Discovered by a metal detector user near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire in 2001.

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