1/4 Penning

Norway's fractional silver coinage of this period reflects the chronic shortage of bullion that plagued Scandinavian mints in the late 12th century. These pieces — among the smallest silver coins struck anywhere in medieval Europe — circulated alongside larger pennies during the reigns of Magnus Erlingsson and Sverre Sigurdsson, a period defined as much by civil war as by commerce. The Birkebeiner-Bagler conflicts disrupted mint activity repeatedly, making consistent production nearly impossible.

At 0.04 grams, even minor die wear represents a meaningful fraction of the coin's total mass.