The Reform Penny: How Edgar Unified Anglo-Saxon England's Coinage

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable monetary revolution under King Edgar the Peaceable. In the 970s, Edgar implemented a single national coinage — the Reform Penny — that replaced a chaotic mix of local moneyers and designs. The new coin, struck at dozens of mints across England, featured a consistent design: a crowned portrait on the obverse and a small cross on the reverse, with the name of the moneyer and mint city recorded on the coin itself. This system was so robust that it endured for over a century, through Viking invasions and political upheavals. Lucas explains how Archbishop Dunstan and a council of nobles pushed through the reform, how the Blythburgh and Cuerdale hoards reveal the transition, and why Edgar's coinage became a model for medieval European monarchies. The episode also touches on the practical mechanics of minting, the role of moneyers, and how the coinage helped unify England after the turbulent tenth century. #EdgarThePeaceable #ReformPenny #AngloSaxonCoinage #Dunstan #BlythburghHoard #CuerdaleHoard #Moneyers #MedievalCoinage #EnglishHistory #TenthCentury #CoinReform #AngloSaxonEngland #Numismatics #MonetaryHistory #KingEdgar #History #FexingoHistory #MedievalEconomics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo