_Obverse_, bust or cross within inner circle, BALDRED, BELDRED, or
BEALDRED REX CN or CANT. _Reverse_, moneyer’s name, cross, etc. One of
his coins has on the _reverse_ DIORMOD MONETA, and within the inner
circle, in two lines, DRVR CITS for _Dorovernia Civitas_ or city of
Canterbury, and is the earliest known instance of place of mintage
appearing upon Saxon coins.
_MERCIAN KINGS._ OFFA, 757-796.
[Illustration]
The coins of Offa are of great variety in type, of considerable beauty
in design, and of better workmanship than most of the Saxon pennies.
On the _obverse_ is the name OFFA REX, or REX M, or REX MERCIORN.
_Reverse_, various crosses and other devices and moneyer’s name. Of
these upwards of fifty are known, and some of them used Runic letters.