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Excessively Rare Scandinavian Viking Harold I 'London / Wulfric' Norse Imitation Penny

Silver, 0.82 grams, 17.97 mm. Circa 1035-1040 AD, Norse imitative series. Obverse: profile bust with sceptre and +HARO LREX legend. Reverse: long voided cross and lis dividing fully retrograde +PV LFR ICO NLV legend for the moneyer Wulfric at "London" mint. S.-; N.- (but see S. 1164; N. 804; BMC type V for prototype). The moneyer Wulfric is not recorded for London among the more than 1,100 coins of Harold I listed by H. A. Parsons in The Coins of Harold I, BNJ 15, 1919, in the volumes of Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles or in the Early Medieval Corpus and has not apparently been recorded before. The reverse legend being fully retrograde strongly suggests that this is a contemporary imitation of Hiberno-Norse or Viking, possibly Danish, origin. Harold was an illegitimate son of Cnut and regent to Hardthacnut and gained the throne when Harthacnut could not travel to England due to problems in Denmark. Extremely fine. Excessively rare as an imitative issue; possibly unique for these dies.

Canute had intended to divide his dominions between his three sons. He left Norway to his eldest son, Sweyn, and Denmark to Harold. On Canute's death, Harold promptly took possession of his father's treasure and received the support of Earl Leofric of Mercia and the majority of the Danes. The great council, or Witangemot, meeting at Oxford, confirmed Harold as King, but Ethelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to crown him. Ethelnoth is said to have placed the royal sceptre and crown on the altar of a church, possibly at Canterbury Cathedral and offered to perform the ceremony without using any of the royal regalia. He ardently refused to remove the regalia from the altar and forbade other bishops from doing so. Harold rejected the Christian religion in protest, refusing to attend church services while he remained uncrowned.

3. Fleur de Lis Harold I Penny. +HAROL DREX, Diademed bust of Harold the first left in armour, in front a shield and sceptre. R. Long Voided cross with large pellet in centre, fleur de lis between trefoil of pellets in each angle. +PL/FPE/ONC/OLE, Moneyer, Wulfwine at Colchester. N 804; S 1165; BMC Vc. EMC registration number at the Fitzwilliam Museum: 2005.0144. Good Fine and better.