King Alfred ('The Great')
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King Alfred ('The Great')
by Unknown artist
silver penny, circa 887
3/4 in. (19 mm) diameter
Purchased, 1962
Primary Collection
NPG 4269
Sitterback to top
- King Alfred ('The Great') (849-899), King of the West Saxons. Sitter associated with 13 portraits.
This portraitback to top
In the Anglo-Saxon era, portraits on coins were intended as emblems of kingship rather than individual likenesses. However, they demonstrate how leaders could reinforce their claim to rule by disseminating their own image on objects that were used and exchanged on a daily basis. The ruler’s portrait also provided confidence in the legitimacy of the coinage.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 5
- Strong, Roy, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, 1969, p. 2
- Williamson, David, Kings and Queens, 2010, p. 12
- Williamson, David, The National Portrait Gallery: History of the Kings and Queens of England, 1998, p. 17
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