Description
The penny of Burgred is a fine silver .999 bullion piece, produced using Medieval coining practices. The dies were hand cut, and the blanks individually hand struck. The finished piece averages 2 grams of pure silver.
King Burgred-King of Mercia (852-874). As King he withstood the advance of the Great Heathen Army. He was married to Aethelswith, the daughter of King Aethelwulf King of Wessex-which made him brother in law to Alfred the Great.
Burgred was driven out and replaced by the Danes with a client king named Coenwulf II. Later Burgred traveled to Rome where he died and was buried.
The obverse of the coin is a simple period style portrait of the King with his name and title Rex or King. The reverse is ornate with the name of the Moneyer that cut the dies across the middle, and the broken-up phrase D MONETA, The Moneyer, above and below. The original coins are occasionally found in Vikings Hoards.
Alpha Officium has produced this bullion piece to commemorate the memory and friendship of Master Ian Cnulle of AnTir (SCA); and his endeavors to make a collectible and tradable series of precious metal coins to be enjoyed by all.
These bullion pieces will be sold at a premium over spot market value. They are intended to float at market or traded for whatever their owners/buyers deem acceptable. Pricing will likely vary and be updated at times to reflect the changing silver market value. Alpha Officium does not intend or promise to redeem them at this time.
Silver is a lovely metal and has unlimited uses in the modern world. It is also an ideal hedge against inflation and a small way to put aside something of value for a rainy day. For the would be Viking it is also not a bad way to get a taste of what it was like to have a bit of treasure.
