AlexB
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Struck c.825-840AD East Anglia, Ipswich(?) mint. AR Penny 1.29g non-portrait type; Obv 'EDELSTANI' around central A, short line above, 3 pellets around, no inner circle; Rev 'TORHTHELM' (Moneyer Torhthlem) around, inner dotted circle, cross of wedges. Pagan, BNJ 1982, p.64 (2 specimens listed same type/moneyer); BMA 253; N 441; S 951. There are 52 coins of this King on the EMC database. Of these, 8 are of this moneyer & all thought to be of the same mint, supposed to be Ipswich as the dominant conurbation of the time. Though listed as N.441, I am unsure that this coin demonstrates a 'cross patee with wedges', it seems more like an eight-rayed cross. Better than very fine and round, well-struck, though slightly double-struck in places, grey tone, extremely rare esp. in this condition.
Æthelstan was king of East Anglia in the 9th century. As with the other kings of East Anglia, there is very little textual information available. He did, however, leave an extensive coinage of both portrait and non-portrait type. He may have attempted to seize power in East Anglia on the death of Coenwulf of Mercia (821AD). If this is the case, he was apparently defeated by Coenwulf's successor Ceolwulf. Later, with Wessex rising & Mercia defeated, he seems to have made an alliance or established independence to regain his throne. It is suggested that at this juncture, Æthelstan was probably the king who therefore defeated and killed the Mercian kings Beornwulf (826AD) and Ludeca (827AD). The end of Æthelstan's reign is placed in the middle or late 840s. His burial place unknown.
The Mint of Ipswich - A town and seaport on the River Orwell, 68 miles to the NE of London. Little is known of this town except its sacking by Viking raiders due to its convenient, & unfortunate, location. Source J.J. North Vol.1 'English Hammered Coinage'. Ex-DNWSep2008lot3410.
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