Last Archbishop of Norway

Sale: Triton XIII, Lot: 1915. Estimate $200.  Closing Date: Monday, 4 January 2010.  Sold For $2400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

NORWAY, Ærkebiskopper. Olav Engelbrektssen. Archbishop, 1523-1537. AR Skilling (1.50 g, 12h). Nidaros (Trondheim) mint. OLAWS DEI GRA ARCEP NIDSEN, coat-of-arms set on long cross botonnée / (miter) SANCTVS : OLAWS : REX : NORVEG, shield bearing St. Olav’s cross with battle axe to left and right. Galster 187; ABH 2. VF, toned. Very rare and historically important.

From the Leonard O. Greenfield Collection.

The last Archbishop of Norway, Olav Engelbrektssen devoted his tenure to defending Catholicism against the Protestant Danes. Following the accession of Christian III as King of Denmark, the religious battle escalated, as the king was a supporter of the Protestant Reformation and Olav, as a representative of the Vatican within Norway, posed a problem. After Olav declared Norway’s sovereignty, the Danish Privy Council countered with formally annexing Norway. A futile resistance was mounted, and Olav later fled to Nidarholm Abbey, the final Catholic stronghold in Norway, where he was besieged, later to take exile in Brabant where he died the following year. Important for his role in defending Catholicism, Olav was also behind the construction of Steinvikholm Castle outside Trondheim.