Early Scandinavian & Swedish

CNG 105, Lot: 1169. Estimate $750. Sold for $800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SCANDINAVIA. Circa 991-1020. AR Penny (19mm, 1.40 g, 3h). Imitation of a Æthelred II Long Cross type of the Winchester mint; Brihtsige, moneyer. Draped bust left / Voided long cross with triple-crescent ends and pellet at center; all over quatrefoil. Malmer –. Good VF, peck marks.

This enigmatic coin features a highly atypical style, including misspellings, unusual letter forms, and a generally misshapen bust and face, all of which preclude it from being an official issue of the well-studied Winchester mint. Thus, it must be an imitation, almost certainly from outside of England. The aforementioned individual features differ from those of the main groups of Irish and Scandinavian coinage, so the true source of this piece must remain a mystery. It is retained here under Scandinavia for convenience.