Norway had no indigenous coinage tradition before Olav Haraldsson established his mint, and the coins he produced were direct imitations of English penny types — specifically those of Cnut, who ruled England simultaneously and whose monetary system carried the prestige Olav needed domestically. The political dimension is pointed: Olav was imitating the coinage of a king who would eventually drive him into exile in 1028 and seize Norway itself.
Die-cutting was almost certainly done by English moneyers working abroad or Norwegians trained under them. Fabric and silver content vary considerably across the type.
Norway had no indigenous coinage tradition before Olav Haraldsson established his mint, and the coins he produced were direct imitations of English penny types — specifically those of Cnut, who ruled England simultaneously and whose monetary system carried the prestige Olav needed domestically. The political dimension is pointed: Olav was imitating the coinage of a king who would eventually drive him into exile in 1028 and seize Norway itself.
Die-cutting was almost certainly done by English moneyers working abroad or Norwegians trained under them. Fabric and silver content vary considerably across the type.