The ‘life & times’ of Sihtric Silkenbeard, King of Dublin
Sigtrygg III Silkbeard Olafsson (also Sihtric, Sitric and Sitrick in Irish texts; or Sigtryg and Sigtryggr in Scandinavian texts) was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin. The historical sources are a bit sketchy, given that some were written well after the 10th C, so they do not agree upon precise dates. Sihtric reigned from … possibly as early as…


![Hiberno-Norse. temp. Murchad mac Diarmata. 1052-1070. AR Penny (18mm, 0.50 g, 9h). Phase IV coinage, Facing bust/Long Cross type. Uncertain mint signature and moneyer. Struck circa 1055/60-1065/70. IIIIIIIIIII•III[...] II•I[...]IIII, schematized facing bearded head: pellet-in-annulet eyes, annulet cheeks, curvilinear mouth and mustache with one pellet at end, and linear beard; annulet above / IIIIII III, voided long cross, with triple crescent ends; in first and fourth angles, retrograde S with triple pellets at each end, “hand” symbol in second, and annulet-with-tail symbol in third. Blackburn 4, –; O’S 46 var. (symbol in third quarter); SCBI 8 (BM), –; cf. SCBI 32 (Belfast), 309; SCBI 22 (Copenhagen), 235; D&F 27; SCBC 6176. VF, toned, area of weak strike. Very rare.](https://oldcurrencyexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/hiberno-norse-phase-iv-coinage-facing-bust-long-cross-type-uncertain-mint-signature-and-moneyer.jpg?w=220&h=126&crop=1)






