Historic Ipswich penny fetches £3,500 under the hammer
The Ipswich Penny - Credit: Archant
A coin more than 1,000-years-old believed to be one of the first to bear the name of Ipswich has sold for £3,500 at auction.
The penny, minted in Ipswich and discovered in Germany, is thought to be one of just 12 in the world.
On one side is a bust of Kind Eadgar, while the other contains the words Leofric, meaning Moneyer, M-O meaning Moneta, and Gipes, the name at the time for Ipswich.
It is believed the coin was part of a payment sent to the Vikings to hopefully stop them launching further raids on Ipswich.
There was hot competition for the coin when it went under the hammer at Lockdales auction house in Martlesham on Saturday.
Bidding exceeded the guide price of £2-2,500.
James Sadler, Lockdales auction manager, said: “It was a good price for a wonderful piece of our history.”
Most Read
- 1 Woman injured after car flips on its roof near Ipswich
- 2 Suffolk fish and chip van to feature on Escape to the Country
- 3 Richest people in East Anglia revealed on Sunday Times Rich List
- 4 WATCH: Adorable family of foxes enjoy play time at an Ipswich doorstep
- 5 Developer criticised for 'failing to meet obligations'
- 6 'We are both in love' - Ed Sheeran announces birth of second daughter
- 7 Suffolk campsite named among the best in the UK by the Guardian
- 8 See inside stunning £1.15m home a stone's throw away from Christchurch Park
- 9 Parking woes for shop parade hit by 'continous roadworks'
- 10 Jail for man who drove stolen car at police officers
Of the other known coins seven are in museums and the rest are with various European collectors.
Also sold at the auction was a 1936 programme for an Ipswich Town v Wolves friendly match at Portman Road, which fetched £150.