A silver penny of Cnut found near Blyth, Nottinghamshire. (c) Portable Antiquities Scheme, CC BY-SA 4.0
Description
Coin of Cnut the Great (DENO-28F8A6)
A silver penny of Cnut found near Blyth, Nottinghamshire
This silver penny is a posthumous issue of Cnut, with arm and sceptre obverse type, minted by Thurgrim in Lincoln under the authority of King Harthacnut.
Minting coins was a way of controlling the means of exchange within a kingdom and which created a more easily administered standardized system of trade. Moreover, the coins themselves were often used as propaganda, portaying symbols and statements that gave off a desired message. The Vikings later used the minting of coins to legitimize their own rule.
