York Mint Dies Transported to Sigtuna

CNG 105, Lot: 1171. Estimate $500. Sold for $1400. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SWEDEN. Olof Skötkonung (the Treasurer). 995–1022. AR Penny (21.5mm, 1.83 g, 8h). Imitation of a Cnut Quatrefoil/Æthelred II Short Cross type. Sigtuna mint. Struck circa 1016-1022. CNVT REX ANGLORVI, crowned bust left within quatrefoil / + PVLFSIGE M–O EOFRI, short cross pattée. Malmer chain 3-Link, dies 715/1738 (and discussion pp. 51-2); Dolley, “Some Scandinavian Coins in the Names of Æthelræd, Cnut, and Harthacnut Attributed by Hildebrand to English Mints,” in BNJ 30 (1961), pl. XIII, N (same dies); Blackburn, English – (but see p. 109, Quatrefoil 3-6 for related dies transported to Scandinavia). Good VF, wavy flan. Rare.

Coins from this rare die chain link both to pieces in the English series and to pieces struck on square flans, a hallmark of Scandinavian minting. This fact, combined with their presence in the Skovvang hoard, strongly suggests a Scandinavian origin for these coins. Malmer suggests a minting location of Sigtuna, and reconstructs the travels of the series: “A few years after dies 1715 and 1738 were made in England they were transported, perhaps via Lund, to Sigtuna where they were used to strike both round and square coins. Some of these coins were then traqnsported to Bornholm.” (Malmer p. 52)