Numismatic Auction #20

NORWAY: Olav Kyrre, 1066-1093, AR penning (0.79g), ND, NM-1 var, Schive-34, Graesil- 75, joint coinage with Magnus (1066-1069), similar to NM-1, but no inner circle on reverse, obverse nicely struck, reverse uneven, EF, ex Dr. John Lund Collection. Olav Kyrre was the son of Harald Hardrada, the Norwegian adventurer who died at Stamford Bridge in 1066. While part of the invasion force, Olav stayed on board ship and missed the battle. He returned to Norway with his father's body and was crowned king along with his brother Magnus. With the latter's death in 1069, Olav ruled alone and peaceably, renouncing his father's aggressive foreign policy. As an interesting side note, the only Norse coin discovered in North America that can plausibly be attributed to Viking trade with the natives, the so-called "Maine Penny, " is an Olav Kyrre penning of this type.