British Coins and Tokens

Kings of Mercia, Offa (757-96), Penny, Substantial Light coinage, East Anglia [Ipswich?], Wihtred, of fa re x in angles of cross of petals with each limb terminating in a rosette, rev. pi h +r ei in angles of lozenge cross fleury, 1.05g/6h (Chick 181a var. [same obv. die]; N 331; S 907). Struck from a worn reverse die, and with a small patch of smoothing on reverse by edge, otherwise about very fine; an unrecorded combination of obverse and reverse types £800-£1,000

found near Brisley (Norfolk) in November 2022 (EMC 2022.0429)

This new discovery provides a fresh insight into the arrangement of Offa’s coinage in East Anglia. The obverse die used to strike this coin was also employed for a series of pennies on which the moneyer’s name is rendered in runic characters. Notably, the present coin has developed die flaws across its obverse, indicating that it was produced later than the die-linked runic specimens. It is tempting to view this shift from runic to Latin characters as part of a wider attempt towards standardisation during the light coinage.