Date: c. 996-1001

Hiberno-Norse silver penny. Sihtric III Olafsson, Phase I, Class A coinage, Crux type. Difelin (Dublin) mint signature; ‘Fastolf,’ moneyer. Struck circa 995/7-1020.

Description:

Hiberno-Norse silver penny, in the name of Sihtric III Olafsson (995-1036) Phase I, Class A coinage, Crux type. Difelin (Dublin) mint signature; ‘Fastolf,’ moneyer.

• Struck circa 995/7-1020
  • Diameter: 22mm
  • Weight: 1.60 g
• SCBI 8 (BM), 9-11 (same dies); SCBI 22 (Copenhagen), 5 (same dies); SCBI 32 (Belfast), 14 (same dies); SCBC 6102.
• Good VF, attractively toned, legends weakly engraved.
• Very rare.

Obverse:

• Draped bust right; scepter before, legend surrounding
• + EDELRED REX ΛNG
  • (legend translates as “Æthelred, King of England”)

Reverse:

• Voided cross; C R V X in angles, legend surrounding
• + FΛZTΘL–DINLIИ–
  • (legend translates as Moneyer = “Fastolf of Dublin”)

Country:

• Ireland

Category:

• Hiberno-Norse
  • Phase I
  • Class A (Crux type)
    • Mint = Dublin
    • Moneyer = Fastolf
• Hammered

Additional Information:

The British numismatist Michael Dolley classified Hiberno-Norse coins into seven distinct “phases”, covering a period of over 150 years.

About the year 995, Sihtric III “Silkbeard”, (also spelled Sitrick, Sigtrygg, Sitriuc and many other variants) King of Dublin, issued silver pennies that closely imitated the contemporary Anglo-Saxon coins of English King Aethelred II.

• Some of Sihtric’s coins bear his own name, and spell out the name of Dublin (“DYFLIN,”); others simply copy the names of Aethelred and various English mints and moneyers.
• These were the first coins struck in Ireland
  • The reason for issuing them was probably both
    • practical (to pay mercenaries)
    • symbolic (to enhance the king’s prestige by displaying his wealth and power)

Phase I coinage lasted 20-25 years, and went through several design changes.

• The most common type imitates Aethelred’s “Long Cross” issue, bearing an obverse image of a bare-headed king draped in a cloak. The “voided cross” reverse could serve as a guide for cutting the coin into halves or quarters, since no smaller denominations were struck.
  • Class A          996-1001         Crux issue (King Aethelred II)
  • Class B        1002-1008         Long Cross issue (King Aethelred II)
  • Class C        1009-1011         Helmet issue (King Aethelred II)
  • Class D        1011-1016         Small Cross issue (King Aethelred II)
  • Class E        1016-1018         Quatrefoil issue (King Cnut)
  • Class F        1024-1030         Pointed Helmet issue (King Cnut) in the name of Sihtric – none known
  • Class ?         1024-1030         Pointed Helmet issue (King Cnut) in the name of Anlaf Sihtricsson – one recently found !

Further Reading:

• O’Brien Coin Guide: Anglo-Saxon Coins & Their Links to Ireland
• O’Brien Coin Guide: Who Introduced Anglo-Saxon Coins to Ireland and why ?
• O’Brien Coin Guide: Introduction to the Hiberno-Norse Coinages of the Late 10th & Early 11th C