SCANDINAVIA. 11th century AD. AR Penny (21mm, 1.98 g, 12h). Imitating the Long Cross type of Æthelred II of England. ‘Northern’ die chain. Struck circa 1000/1005-1020. Good VF.

CNG Feature Auction 127
Lot: 1148.
Closing Date: Sep 18 2024 11:00 ET

The Sidney W. Harl & Kenneth W. Harl Collection, Silver

Estimate: $ 750

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SCANDINAVIA. 11th century AD. AR Penny (21mm, 1.98 g, 12h). Imitating the Long Cross type of Æthelred II of England. ‘Northern’ die chain. Struck circa 1000/1005-1020. Draped bust left; pellet behind neck / Voided long cross, with pellet at center and triple-crescent ends. Malmer chain 136, 221.1245; SMH 212. Toned, slightly wavy flan, a few peck marks. Good VF. Rare.

From the Sidney W. Harl & Kenneth W. Harl Collection, purchased from J. Linzalone, 23 November 2010. Ex G.W. de Wit (Part I, Künker 121, 12 March 2007), lot 671; M.C. Hirsch 3 (15 February 1975), lot 51.

The selection of imitative Scandinavian pennies was based on English pennies, notably those of Æthelred II (the Crux and Long Cross types) which arrived in Scandinavia in hands of warriors serving the Danish King Svein Forkbeard who had obtained the coins as booty or payments of Dangeld.

A note from the cataloger: The imitative types presented here are some of the earliest issues of the Danish and Swedish Kings. Mostly struck in the early 11th century, numismatists have been able to arrange them into a number of ‘die chains,’ helping to develop an idea of where these were struck. Some chains remain unconnected, while others can be arranged into “Northern” or “Southern” groups. The Northern group was likely struck at Sigtuna (or possibly other mints) and links to the named coinage of Olof Skötkonung. The Southern group hails from Denmark and consists of the first coinage of the Lund mint under Svein Forkbeard. The die chains are quite complex, with individual dies appearing to move between England, Denmark, Sweden, and even Pomerania. As such, we have presented this group as a separate Scandinavian section, so that collectors can consider this fascinating series as a cohesive yet ever-evolving group.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 127 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 17-18 September 2024. This lot is in Session Four, which will begin 18 September at 2 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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