Alfred continued the practise of the past by issuing joint coinage with both
Mercian kings, Burgred and Ceolwulf (874-879), who had been put in place by the
Danes
after Burgred had been forced from Mercia. By the mid 870’s some coins even showed
Alfred as ‘king of the English’.
The control of London and
east Mercia by the Danes was a threat to both the West Saxons and the
Mercians. In 886 London was besieged and captured by Alfred. He gave the control
of London to Æthelred, Lord of Mercia, who had acknowledged Alfred’s position of
over-lordship in 883.
The defeat of the Danes in London was hailed by both the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser as a great victory, with both proclaiming that now London had fallen Alfred was now overlord of all Saxons outside of Viking control.
Treaties signed with Guthrum, the Viking King of East Anglia and charters issued at the time give weight to the fact that Alfred was seen as the ‘king of the Anglo-Saxons’ at the time.
That being said Alfred's influence over England as a whole was limited,
'Danelaw'
