Catalog
1 Penning - Sven Estridsen Saint Michael
| Issuer | Denmark |
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| Year | 1047-1075 |
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| Currency | Penning (-1513) |
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| Obverse description | Saint Michael depicted at left in profile, facing right toward a frontally-posed king rendered in Byzantine imperial attire; both figures jointly grasp a labarum staff between them. The composition reflects strong Byzantine artistic influence characteristic of mid-11th century Danish coinage. A Latin legend commences at the lower right of the field, partially encircling the central figures. |
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| Reverse description | A long voided cross with distinctive three-crescent finials occupies the full reverse field, its arms dividing the encircling Latin legend into four quarters. Crescent ornaments are positioned within the second and third quarters formed by the cross arms, serving as decorative fillers typical of Scandinavian hammered coinage of the period. |
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| Additional information |
Sven Estridsen's reign saw Denmark's coinage brought into closer alignment with contemporary English practice — unsurprising given Sven's long ties to the English court and his years in exile under Cnut's dynasty. The Hauberg 8 attribution places this among the earliest of his recognized types, issued during a reign that also saw the first serious attempts to organize Danish episcopal administration.
Die workmanship on this type is characteristically uneven, a product of decentralized minting across multiple Danish towns with little standardization between workshops.