Obverse:

ÆÐELSTAN REX T. Crowned bust right.

Reverse:

BVRDEL-MO NORÐP. Small cross.

A little weakly struck on the hair, which is typical for the issue, on a neat round flan, very fine and rare. Same die pair as SCBI 9 Ashmolean Museum - number 339. Blunt 281 – noting the “One (Ashmolean 339) ends obv. REXT”

Found near Euston, Thetford, Suffolk. Recorded as EMC 2025.0237 (this coin)

The name of this moneyer, recorded as BURHELM by Dr. M. Allen (interpreted by assigning the ‘M’ of MO to the moneyer’s name rather than as an abbreviation of Moneta) and previously catalogued as BURDEL by Blunt, represents the same individual. Blunt suggests that this is most likely the accurate rendering of the Norwich moneyer seen by various spellings. According to his analysis, BARDEL and BARBE are also possible candidates for this same moneyer.

Blunt suggests that the other variants are likely the result of common die-cutting irregularities. In early medieval coinage, especially at regional mints, mistakes in engraving were not uncommon. He notes that “to accept BARBE as a corruption of BURDEL involves the inversion of the V, the mistake of B for D and the omission of the final L”. This would be a series of significant errors and despite the extent, Blunt does not rule out this possibility, noting that such mistakes fall within the range of observed inconsistencies in the period’s numismatic record, unless strong philological evidence suggests otherwise.

If accepting these three forms as corruptions or variants of BURDEL as one moneyer, it has important implications for the count of individual moneyers at Norwich. Blunt was able to trace BARBE on three specimens, BARDEL on three others and BURDEL on eight examples.

For further reading see:

C. E. Blunt, (1974) ‘The coinage of Athelstan, 924-939: a survey’, British Nusmatic Journal, Vol. 42, Special Volume for 70th Birthday of C.E. Blunt., pg 35-158.