Date: c. 995-1015

Hiberno-Norse Penny, Phase I, Class B, SIHTRC REX DYFLN, rev. BYRHTIOD MO RINI

Description:

An Hiberno-Norse Phase I, Class B Silver Penny. Winchester mint, moneyer: Byrhtiod.

• Weight: 1.30 g
• References:
  • Dolley B1b, SCBI BM 40, SCBI Copenhagen 29, Lane 7, S 6104, DF 6
• Well-struck on a neat round flan, a bit crimped in places, otherwise good Fine (gF)
• Three peck marks, suggesting transactional usage
• Rare

Obverse:

• Draped bust left with one pellet behind neck
• Slightly blundered legend:
  • + SIHTRC REX DYFLN
    • (translates as “Sihtric, King of Dublin”)

Reverse:

• Long voided cross, with triple crescent ends and pellet in each angle
• Unusually clear legend:
  • + BYRHTIOD MO RINI
    • (translates as Moneyer = “Byhrtiod of Winchester”)

Country:

• Ireland

Category:

• Hiberno-Norse
  • Phase 1
    • Class B (Long Cross)
• Hammered

Additional Information:

During Phase II (c. 1018 to 1035) the coinage became lighter, possibly reflecting the declining fortunes of the Kingdom of Dublin.

• Early Phase I coins weighed about 1.5 grammes (This is early Phase I @ 1.59g)
  • By Phase II the average weight of the coinage is reduced to 1.2 grammes

The inscriptions (legends) on Phase II coins are, typically, ‘blundered’

• This is a numismatic term for mis-spelt, or a jumble of letters
  • bits of the name “Sihtric” and “Dyflin” are still often recognizable.
• On the obverse of Phase II coins, a J-shaped symbol – interpreted as an inverted bishop’s crozier – sometimes appears behind the bust.
• Small pellets, typically, appear in the angles of the long cross on the reverse.

Other Coins in this Series:

• The Old Currency Exchange: Checklist (Hiberno-Norse)

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