2018-12-04 Tue

CNG’s online auction sold an extremely rare, but damaged Viking coin for $17,000 on 14th November, crossing its estimated value by 12 times. The coin was issued during the second reign of the Anglo-Viking king, Eric Bloodaxe or Eric Haraldsson, somewhere between 952 and 954 in Hiberno-Norse, Northumbria.

20 to 25 per cent of the offered coin’s surface is missing. The coin is also known as Sword Pennies as a sword is featured on the obverse. Only 3 examples of this coin exist today and the offered coin was discovered in 2007 by a metal detectorist. Coins from the Viking series are highly sought after, out of which, coins of Eric Bloodaxe are extremely rare.

Struck by the moneyer Radulf, at the York Mint, the 0.93 grams coin has a diameter of 21 millimetres. The Fitzwilliam Museum’s Corpus of Early Medieval Coin Finds has recorded the coin. No more information about the discovery is available as UK treasure law is different for single-coin finds and hoards. The offered coin is in Very Fine condition according to the auction house and features little porosity. It was a part of a private collection of Anglo-Saxon and Norman coins. Another similar yet complete piece was sold by CNG on 9th January 2017 at Triton XX auction for $130,000.

Image Courtesy: CNG Auctions