Coins, Historical Medals and Antiquities

Edward the Confessor (1042-1066), Penny, Radiate type, Thetford, Brunstan, brvnstan on deo, 1.12g/10h (Carson 12; Freeman 52; BEH 713; N 816; S 1173). Obverse struck from a crudely-made die, very fine or better, extremely rare £300-£400

Hildebrand published a specimen in his 1881 standard reference but according to Freeman only one (recté two) other is known, in the Stockholm cabinet (SCBI 54, 600-1). A further specimen was recorded in 2019 (EMC 2019.0264). Brunstan was a regular moneyer under Cnut, Harold I and Harthacnut but his production in the first three types of the Confessor seems to have been very limited. There are six PACX pennies known (pace Pagan, BNJ 2011), including two in the British Museum, one each in Copenhagen and Stockholm as well as a cut halfpenny in Manchester. There are also two Trefoil coins, in the British Museum and Stockholm