Coelwulf 'Two Emperors' Penny - a copy of a type seen in the Watlington hoard discovered by metal detector user James Mather, an amateur metal-detectorist, in 2015 and subsequently excavated.
The hoard is made up of silver – 186 coins (some fragmentary), 15 ingots and 7 pieces of jewellery, including arm-rings – and a scrap of gold. It was buried after Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army led by Guthrum in 878, forcing the Danes to retreat north.
It is significant because it contains many coins of Alfred, who was king of Wessex from 874 to 899, and his less well-known contemporary Ceolwulf II of Mercia who reigned from 874 to around 879 AD.
There are 13 of the “vanishingly rare” two emperors penny, of which only two previous examples were known, which shows the two kings seated side by side under a winged figure of Victory or an angel.
The coins suggest an alliance between the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia, contradicting accounts from Alfred’s side which suggest Ceolwulf was a puppet of the Vikings.
Our repro is a copy of such a coin and e obverse side reads COELWLF REX with the king facing right.
The reverse shows Coelwulf and Alfred seated side by side under a winged figure of victory or an angel. The reverse legend reads GRV MONETA running from left through bottom and then right.
Made from a modern die cut by a master craftsman to represent this type and hand struck from pewter. The die maker has used the name Grunal as the moneyer on the coin. (GRV)
