Editing Edmund the Martyr (section)

===Accession and rule===
[[File:Williamson p16 3.svg|300px|thumb|The kingdom of the East Angles]]
The existence of Edmund is known from coins minted by his [[moneyer]]s, three of whom—Dudda, Eadmund, and Twicga—minted coins for Edmund's predecessor, [[Æthelweard of East Anglia|Æthelweard]] which suggests that a smooth transition of power occurred.{{sfn|Young|2018|p=40}} The number of coins issued in his name indicates that he reigned for a number of years, but the only contemporary documentary references to Edmund are the records of his death in [[Asser]]'s life of [[Alfred the Great]] and the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]''. The twelfth-century ''[[Annals of St Neots]]'' states that Edmund succeeded on Christmas Day 855 aged fourteen and was crowned by Bishop [[Hunberht]] on Christmas Day 856 at a royal vill in [[Bures St Mary|Burna]] in Suffolk, but no source is known for these statements.{{sfn|Gransden|2004}} The devastation in East Anglia that was caused by the [[Vikings]] destroyed all the [[charter]]s that may have referred to Edmund.{{sfn|Yorke|2002|p=20}}

Edmund cannot be placed within any ruling dynasty. The 10th century French monk [[Abbo of Fleury]] stated that Edmund was ''{{lang|la|ex antiquorum Saxonum nobili prosapia oriundus}}'', which according to Ridyard "was probably Abbo's rather verbose way of saying he was descended from the ancient nobility of his race".{{sfn|Ridyard|1988|p=217}}

A variety of different coins were [[Mint (facility)|minted]] by Edmund's moneyers during his reign.<ref>{{cite news|title=Treasure hunters found nearly 1,000 items in 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25748576|work=[[BBC News]]|date=16 January 2014 |publisher=|access-date=19 January 2014}}</ref> The letters ''AN'', standing for 'Anglia', appear on the coins of only Edmund and [[Æthelstan of East Anglia|Æthelstan]], another 9th century king of the East Angles; the letters appear on Edmund's coins as part of the phrase ''+ EADMUND REX AN[GLORUM]'' ("Edmund, King of the Angles").{{sfn|Young|2018|p=7}} Edmund's later coins read ''+ EADMUND REX'' ("Edmund, King").{{sfn|Young|2018|p=7}}{{sfn|Grierson|Blackburn|1986|p=294}} Otherwise, no chronology for his coins has been confirmed.{{sfn|Grierson|Blackburn|1986|p=588}}