Penny - Coenwulf Groups III and IV, London mint

Coenwulf of Mercia ruled at the apex of that kingdom's dominance over southern England, and his coinage reflects an aggressive assertion of control over the Canterbury and London mints — institutions previously under Kentish authority. The London mint output during his reign is divided by scholars into groups based on stylistic and metrological shifts, with Groups III and IV representing the later phase, after the weight standard had already begun its gradual slide from the earlier reform penny.

Coenwulf's bitter dispute with Archbishop Wulfred over ecclesiastical revenues and minting rights — a conflict that resulted in Wulfred's suspension from office — ran directly through these final minting years.