Olof Skötkonung, the first Christian king of Sweden, began striking these deniers in direct imitation of contemporary Anglo-Saxon penny types — almost certainly using English moneyers brought to Sigtuna specifically for the purpose. Snelling was one of a handful of identifiable craftsmen whose name appears on the coins themselves, a practice borrowed wholesale from English minting tradition. Sweden had no established coin-producing infrastructure before Olof's reign, and these pieces effectively inaugurated it.
The series is short. Production appears to have ceased well before Olof's death in 1022, leaving the total output modest by any measure.
Olof Skötkonung, the first Christian king of Sweden, began striking these deniers in direct imitation of contemporary Anglo-Saxon penny types — almost certainly using English moneyers brought to Sigtuna specifically for the purpose. Snelling was one of a handful of identifiable craftsmen whose name appears on the coins themselves, a practice borrowed wholesale from English minting tradition. Sweden had no established coin-producing infrastructure before Olof's reign, and these pieces effectively inaugurated it.
The series is short. Production appears to have ceased well before Olof's death in 1022, leaving the total output modest by any measure.