Pennies of Aethelred II struck at Exeter

A mint striking silver pence for the king had been established at Exeter in Alfred's reign but its early issues are very rare. Output expanded enormously under Aethelred II ('the Unready'), when mints throughout the country were used to provide payments to Viking armies. The view shows the six principal types of coin struck under Aethelred. Each type has a standardised design, with the royal portrait on the obverse and the name of the mint and moneyer on the reverse. The museum holds 64 different coins of Aethelred's reign; many derive from Viking hoards found in Scandinavia. More information on Anglo-Saxon Exeter: http://www.rammtimetrail.org.uk