Kolgrimr, the much travelled moneyer
ANGLO-SAXON, Kings of All England. Aethelred II. 978-1016. AR Penny (19mm, 1.23 g, 3h). Helmet type (BMC viii, Hild. E). Eoferwic (York) mint; Kolgrimr, moneyer. Struck 1003-1009. + EDELRED REX Λ·(NG)L(OX), helmeted bust left / + CO: LGR IM M O EOF, voided long cross with triple-crescent ends and pellet at center; in each quarter, trefoil on pile. SCBI –; BMC –; North 775; SCBC 1152. Good VF, toned, minor peck mark in the field on the obverse. Rare.
This coin is clearly struck from dies of English workmanship however the moneyer Kolgrimr (Colgrim), also struck coins of the Helmet type from one obverse die which was produced by a die cutter working for Sihtric Silkbeard, the Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin (see Blackburn in K. Jonsson ed. Studies In Late Anglo-Saxon Coinage, Stockholm, 1990, pp 9 - 24). To quote Blackburn: 'How a York moneyer came to acquire a Hiberno-Norse die is a matter of speculation. The die cutter could have visited York, but if he did so one might expect to find more than one of his dies used there. Most likely is it that Colgrim or some intermediary acquired the die when visiting Dublin.' Blackburn lists 19 specimens struck from the same Hiberno-Norse obverse die. It would appear that known specimens of the Helmet type for Kolgrimr at York from English obverse dies number less than ten.
