A silver penny of King Cnut the Great found near Irchester, Northamptonshire. (c) Portable Antiquities Scheme, CC BY-SA 4.0
Description
Coin of Cnut the Great (NARC-5DBF29)
A silver penny of King Cnut the Great found near Irchester, Northamptonshire
This silver penny was minted in Cambridge for King Cnut the Great, the Danish king who reigned over England from 1016-1035. This particualr coin is is classified as a quatrefoil obverse type.
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.
