Heardulf, 794 to 806.
The next king, of whom we suppose that we have any coins, is Heardulf, and they are all genuine
stycas of base metal, containing about 6 or 7 parts out of 10 of copper. The type is a small cross on
each side, the king's name on one side, the moneyer's on the other, (109), Archaeol. vol. xxv. p. 292.
MB. 3. v. r.
No coins of king Heardulf were known in collections before 1833, when a few were discovered at
Hexham amidst a hoard of about 8,000 of other personages. As these pieces do not bear the title of
king, and as a similar name occurs, as a moneyer's, on the coins of Eanred and Ethelred, it might be
doubted whether they really are the coins of the king in question. To this it may be replied that the
title of king is frequently omitted upon the stycas, that the coins, where the name occurs with that of a
known moneyer upon the reverse, are well struck without any appearance of blunder, and from a
variety of dies. The union of the two names upon one coin must, therefore, be considered
intentional, not the accidental conjunction of two reverses. Upon the whole it would be too fastidious
to hesitate much in attributing these coins to this king.
Northumberland - Alchred and Elfwald |
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Northumberland - Eanred
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