After the Vikings settled in York different leaders fought each other, trying to take power. There were more than ten different kings between 900-950.
Money and Power
As a sign that they were in control, kings made coins stamped with their names. Coins from this period hold useful clues but were very different from modern examples. Kings and queens' heads were used on coins in Roman Britain, then not again until much later.
Coins did not need to be stamped with their values either, as they were made of precious metal, like silver, and could be weighed to check their worth. It was a good idea to do this, as sometimes people clipped bits of silver off the edges of coins.
Two Coins, Two Kings
The coins of two rulers of York are especially interesting. Olaf Guthfrisson (939-941) and Olaf Sihtricsson (941-944/5) both came to York from the Viking kingdom of Dublin in Ireland.
The two kings used symbols on their coins. If a king wanted a long reign he needed to make sure he had the support of the Christian Anglo-Saxons and pagan Vikings.
Symbols with Double-meanings
Some Viking coins cleverly use symbols that meant something to both groups. Can you find any of these symbols on the coins pictured on this page?
- The raven - a symbol of the Viking god Odin but also of St Oswald, a Northumbrian royal saint.
- A linked triquetra pattern of three symbols is common in Viking designs but can also symbolise the Christian Holy Trinity.
- A third coin shows a triangular banner common in Viking designs but in this case with a cross symbol added to it.
Glossary