Archbishops of Canterbury, Wulfred, Penny, Canterbury Mint

Wulfred (805-832), Archbishop of Canterbury, silver Penny, type IV anonymous issue (822-823), moneyer Luning, facing tonsured bust of Archbishop with three pellets each side within linear circle, legend surrounding commencing top right, +LVNING MONETA, rev. five line inscription, .+. / DORO / BERNIA / CIVITRA / .S., weight 1.30g (BMC page 73 note; SCBI 1:442 Fitzwilliam; SCBI 2:397 Hunterian; Naismith C57.2; N.238; S.890). With a slightly uneven tone on a lightly undulating flan, well struck practically extremely fine and very rare.

The first mention of Wulfred in the historical record is in 803 when he attended a church council and he was thought to be a nobleman from Middlesex. He became Archbishop of Canterbury in 805 and reformed the clergy of the cathedral. He later had disputes with King Coenwulf over church lands leading to his expulsion from the See in 816 for six years, though he was allowed back into Kent as long as he did not attempt to take office. He had a disagreement with the subsequent king Ceolwulf over the question of whether laymen or clergy should control monasteries. This dispute was not fully settled until 838, long after Ceolwulf and Wulfred were both dead, the latter dying in 832. Wulfred was the first Archbishop of Canterbury to place his own portrait upon his coinage, which significantly show no reference to the ruling Mercian Kings.

Dorovernia is the Latin name for Canterbury as featured in the reverse monogram, with the legends translating as "Luning Moneyer" on the obverse and "City of Canterbury" on reverse.

Provenance:

Found Petersfield, Hampshire, June 2020 EMC 2020.0204.

Ex Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 182, 16^th September 2020, lot 202.

Ex Collection of an English Doctor, part one, Sovereign Rarities, London, March 2022.