English penny from Barnstaple

An English penny struck in Barnstaple (991–997) by King Æthelred II the Unready, with Ælfsige as the moneyer. This penny is called the Crux type because it has a double cross on the back with a dot in the middle and the letters C R V X in the corners. The inscription on the back indicates in whose mint and where the coin was struck (ÆLFSIGE MO BARDA). On the front of the coin is the king in profile facing left, with a sceptre in front of him. The inscription reads Æthelred, King of England (ÆÐELRED REX ΛNGLOX).

The minting patterns of English coins changed regularly, approximately every six years, making them easier to date than German coins, for example. The coins struck by Æthelred II constitute a key part of the Viking Age English pennies found in the region of Finland. The change in coin patterns only mattered in the country of manufacture; outdated coins were commonly used elsewhere.

This penny was included in a hoard found in Väärämaa, Sysmä, in 1870, which contained Islamic, German and English coins as well as jewellery. The hoard contained at least 98 coins, which had been hidden sometime after 1006.