History Coins
Viking
The Viking Invasion of Britain
STAR PIECE - Anlaf Guthfrithsson Raven Type Penny Fragment, 939-954
An extremely rare opportunity to add to your Viking collection. Although sadly only the middle section of this evocative coin, it is history itself! Please see the images below for a rough approximation of orientation.
Obverse: A raven with wings displayed and the encircled legend: [+ANLAF CVNVNC]
Reverse: A small central cross with legend around naming moneyer
Size: 13mm at widest, 0.47g (whole coin would be about 1.15g)
Grade: Central section only, broken into two, repaired
Ref: S 1019
Will be supplied in film display box for protection.
£2,500 (P&P FREE to all locations) #1285
Harold Bluetooth (Harald Blatand) Silver Half-bracteate,c958-985 RARE
Obverse: Geometric design based around a cross with trefoil terminals overlying an abstraction of a facing figure in a boat.
Note: The thiness of the silver allowed ghosting of the obverse design. Bluetooth's conversion to Christianity is clearly shown in his coinage with the cross very evident. Hedeby or Jelling are possible mints.
Size: 16mm, 0.3g
Grade: EF, good round flan, strong strike, no splits or scuffs, extremely rare
Ref: Cf C Moesgaard, King Harold's Cross Coinage p266 fig. A4.9
History note: And yes, renowned for his good communication skills, the Bluetooth name was used by the mobile phone company Ericsson!
PRICE on application (Delivery FREE to all locations)
Hiberno-Scandinavian, Long Cross Hand Type, Phase III Silver Penny, Dublin Mint, Certified, 1035-1060
Obverse: Bare head and draped bust, left, no hand infront of face, blundered legends
Reverse: Long voided cross with hands in two quarters, blundered legends around
Size: 17mm, 0.98g (15.1 grains)
Grade: VF+ slightly buckled, PCGS certified AU 53 (slabbed)
Ref: S6132A, SCIBI BM125
Prov: Ex Noonan's, M J McKeever Collection of Irish Coins
£800 (P&P FREE to all locations) #1575
Danish issue, Hardeknud (Harthacnut), Silver Penny, Triquetra (Triskele) Type, Roskilde Mint, Denmark, 1035-42, RARE
Obverse: Intervoven triquetra shape with pellet ornamentation, legend clear but somewhat blundered reading (Anglicised) IγnOrγcIIIOAD
For further discussion about this coin visit the Blog page.
Reverse: Small central cross, legend γr’CCOShγIICCO
Size: 0.88g, 19mm
Ref: Hauberg 33, S1170
Grade: AVF with a few small cracks, peck marks, RARE
Prov: Ex Noonan's
£1,100 (P&P FREE to all locations) #988
Raids on British soil began in the late 8th century, the first monastery to be invaded was in 793 on Lindisfarne. The men from the North were primarily interested in gold and other precious objects; there was no point attacking ordinary folk, they had little to offer, for the moment. This changed later, as slaves and land became their intent. Skirmishes continued until 1013, then Sweyn Forkbeard returned to invade England in earnest, with a large army. Aethelred, the king at the time, fearing for his life, he fled to France and Forkbeard took the throne of England. The last raid took place in 1066.
Viking, was never a term the Norsemen called themselves, it was Old Norse meaning 'adventure and trade.' It was first used in the English vocabulary in the 18th century and just meant 'a Scandinavian'.
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