Hiberno-Scandinavian Coinage

[Deeman]

Phase IV Coinage

The brief Phase IV (c. 1060-65) saw further deterioration in the weight and workmanship of the coins. It comprises coins that appear to be transitional between Phases III and V. It was a chaotic period in Ireland's mediæval history, with various minor kingdoms and clans competing for control of the coastal towns.

Phase IV coins are described as 'scratched die' issues. They exhibit one common characteristic insofar as they have a cross apparently scratched into one quarter of the reverse, rather than being carefully engraved.

Phase IV groups:
Profile bust.
Facing bust.

Profile bust

The obverse design is a bare headed bust left or right with scattered pellets on and around. The reverse design is a voided long cross with central pellet and triple crescent at the terminals, with symbols in quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible.



Bust left. First quarter with stylised hand, second with scratched cross and two pellets, third with two pellets and fourth with trio of pellets.



Bust left similar to first image with different reverse symbols.

[Deeman]

Phase IV, facing bust

The obverse design is schematised facing helmeted head with pellet-in-annulet eyes, pellet cheeks, curvilinear mouth and triple-stranded pelleted moustache, pellets on chin. The reverse design is a voided long cross with central pellet and triple crescent at the terminals, with symbols in quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible.



First quarter with four pellets, second with stylised hand with two pellets on either side, third scratched cross with pellet in each angle and fourth with trio of pellets.



Similar to first image, but slightly different face and with different reverse symbols.

[Deeman]

Phase V Coinage

Phase V issues are crude imitations of late Anglo-Saxon, Norman and North European coinage, c. 1065 to c. 1100. It is an extensive mish-mash of pennies which vary widely in design and, is by far, the most complex group which, by their quality and weight, appear to have been struck over a period of around 35 years. It copies various contemporary English types in a much less organised way, mixing and muling designs to an extent that makes it hard to place any internal structure on the phase.

Phase V groups sorted by design style:
Voided long cross.
Central text band.
Profile bust cross varieties.
Ringerike style.
Facing bust.
Profile bust without-cross
Agnus Dei.

Images show just a selection of the more than 60 designs (excluding varieties) known under Phase V.

Voided long cross

Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left with symbols. Reverse design is a voided long cross with or without central pellet and triple crescent at the terminals, with or without symbols in quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible.



Obverse symbols from earlier Phase III coinage; hand on neck, cross pommée and trio of pellets to front of face. Reverse unadorned.



Obverse symbols from earlier Phase III coinage; pellet-in-annulet on neck, cross pommée behind. Reverse unadorned.



Obverse symbols from earlier Phase III coinage; group of pellets on neck, pellet before eye. Reverse with pellet, anchor, pellet-in-annulet and crescent in quarters.



Obverse symbols from earlier Phase III coinage; cross pattée on neck, trio of pellet in front of face, two pellets behind head. Reverse with inward anchor, pellet, annulet, pellet in quarters.



Cruder plain bust from Phase III coinage with cruder hands in alternate quarters.



Cruder plain bust from Phase III coinage with anchors in alternate quarters.



Obverse with three interlinked annulets before face. Reverse without central pellet, 'scissors' in alternate quarters. Derived from Scandinavian prototype.

[Deeman]

Phase V, central text band

Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left, annulet on neck, cross between two pellets in front of face. The reverse design is an unintelligible script across field between two lines. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1065-75, reverse derived from Harold II's PAX type.


Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left, cross pattée on neck. The reverse design is an unintelligible script across field between two lines with bird above and below. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1065-75 issue.


Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing right. The reverse design is an unintelligible script across field between two lines. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1065-75, bust style different from left facing issue.

[Deeman]

Phase V profile bust cross varieties

Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a quatrefoil with pellets over a long cross. Inscriptions unintelligible.



Derivative of Cnut's 'quatrefoil' type.


Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left, crook front of face, cross pattée behind. The reverse design is a small cross with unadorned field. Inscriptions unintelligible.



Derivative of Edward the Confessor 'small cross' type.


Obverse design is a bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a voided cross botonnée, pile with pellet at apex in each quarter. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80, derivative of William I's 'bonnet' type.

Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left, symbol on neck. The reverse design is a 'bow' cross with a trio of pellets in each angle, with curved quadrilateral. Inscriptions unintelligible. Reverse similar to William I 'two stars' issue.



1075-80, stylised hand on neck.



1075-80, trio of pellets on neck.


Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a cross fleury on a curved quadrilateral. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80, derivative of William I's 'sword' type.


Obverse design is a crude bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a cross pattée over a saltire cross fleury. Inscriptions unintelligible.



Derivative of William II's 'profile' type.

[Deeman]

Phase V, Ringerike style

The 'Ringerike' style is the name given to the elaborate interlaced designs commonly found in Viking Age art, after the region in Norway by the same name. This obverse of this type has one of the most original designs in the Hiberno-Scandinavian series, as it does not copy a contemporary Anglo-Saxon or Norman coin design. This imagery was the height of fashion in Scandinavia during Cnut's reign.

Obverse design is a cross pattée at centre of a saltire of four croziers, retrograde 'S' to left, scourge and pellet(s) to right. The reverse design is a long voided cross with symbols in quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80, single pellet below scourge, cross with large annulet, pellet, hand, pellet in quarters.



1075-80, trefoil of pellets above and pellet below scourge, cross with pellet and trefoil of pellets in alternate quarters.


Obverse design is a cross pattée at centre of a saltire of four croziers, retrograde 'S' to left, scourge and pellet(s) to right. The reverse design is a lobed cross with central pellet, pellet in quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80, trefoil of pellets above and pellet below scourge. Reverse is a derivative of Harthacnut 'jewelled cross' type.

[Deeman]

Phase V, facing bust

Obverse design is a crude stylised facing bust. The reverse design is a voided long cross with central pellet and pellet in each quarter. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80 issue.


Obverse design is a crude facing bust. The reverse design is a voided long cross with central pellet. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80 issue.


Obverse design is a bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a voided cross, pile with pellet at apex in each quarter. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80, reverse derived of William I's 'bonnet' type.


Obverse design is a crowned facing bust, sceptre either side. The reverse design is a cross fleury with pellet in each quarter. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1075-80, obverse derived from William I's 'two sceptres' type.


Obverse design is a bearded, helmeted facing bust. The reverse design is a trio of bird symbols around a central pellet-in-annulet. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1080-85, obverse derived from William I's 'canopy' type.

 
Obverse design is a crude stylised facing bust. The reverse design is a cross fleury with central pellet-in-annulet, saltire-in-annulet in alternate quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1080-85, reverse derived from William I's 'PAXS' type.


Obverse design is a crude stylised facing bust. The reverse design is a voided long cross with 'hand' symbol in one quarter, S symbol in others. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1095-1100 issue.


Obverse design is a crude stylised facing bust. The reverse design is an expanding cross. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1095-1100, reverse derived from Edward the Confessor.

[Deeman]

Phase V, profile bust without cross

Obverse design is a bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a trio of bird symbols around a central pellet-in-annulet. Inscriptions unintelligible.



1080-85 issue. Probably a mule.

[Deeman]

Phase V, Agnus Dei

Obverse design is a very crude representation of the Lamb of God bearing a cross. The reverse design is a voided long cross with central pellet, with the symbols Ш and cross pattée in alternate quarters. Inscriptions unintelligible



Derived from Scandinavian prototype (Danish kings Magnus the Good, Svend Estridsen).

[Deeman]

Phase VI Coinage

This phase covers the very late and degraded imitations of long cross coins c. 1100-10. They are a very small group of coins made from a lower grade silver than the previous issues. The coinage had settled down into a period of relative stability and a large number of coins of a relatively similar design were produced, characterised by a voided long cross with sceptres in quarters and obverse having a crozier (or crook) in front of the face.

Obverse design is a bare headed draped bust facing left or right with crozier to front of face. Reverse design is a voided long cross with sceptres and either annulets, crosses or pellets in alternate quarters. Inscriptions are a series of strokes.



Bust left, sceptres and pellets in alternate quarters.



Bust left, pellets on neck. Sceptres and annulets in alternate quarters.

[Deeman]

Phase VII Coinage

This phase contains semi-bracteate and bracteate (thin uniface) issues between 1110-70.

The semi-bracteates are double sided with designs derived from the long cross design, but they are generally so thin that the designs from each side are heavily 'ghosted' on the other side. They were found at Scrabo Hill at the head of Strangford Lough.

The bracteates are coins struck on one side only with the reverse often exhibiting the same design in incuse relief. They are on larger flans than the earlier coins and were found exclusively in the Castlelyons hoard in the east of County Cork. Like Phase V coins, there is a wide variety of designs, with many designs represented by a single surviving specimen.

Semi-bracteate

The obverse design is a bare headed bust facing left. The reverse design is a quatrefoil or cross botonnée over a long cross. Inscriptions are series of strokes.



'Scrabo with quatrefoil type'.



'Scrabo with cross botonnée type', annulet on neck.

[Deeman]

Phase VII, bracteate

There are more than 20 designs known in the bracteate series.



Uniface design of a voided cross with pellets and sceptres.



Uniface design of a cross with saltire in each quarter.



Uniface design of a cross with lis in each quarter.



Uniface design of a cross over quatrefoil, pellet in each quarter.

[Deeman]

Hiberno-Manx Coinage

The earliest recorded coins to be minted in the Isle of Man are an imitation of a Hiberno-Norse Phase II. The issue was between c. 1025-65, very crude in style and should not be confused with issues of Ireland and England. The Hiberno-Manx penny has crude blundered inscriptions, a cruder style bust and minor marks of design which differentiate it.

Obverse design is a bare headed draped bust facing left, quatrefoil of four pellets behind neck, pellet behind head. Reverse design is a voided long cross with central pellet and triple crescent at the terminals, pellet in each quarter.



Early style during Sihtric Silkbeard's time as Overlord of Man. Extremely rare.
Obverse inscription is + IIIIIIIIIIII+DIIIC, initial cross and cross in inscription made of quatrefoil of pellets.
Reverse inscription is + ИEI / IEИИ / ИIИO / DHIE, copying the Dublin coins of the moneyer Feremin.



Similar to above.