page_title: Viking coinage
section_title: Sweden
hierarchical_section_title: Viking coinage / Scandinavia / Sweden
caption_attribution_description: English: King Olaf Scotking of Sweden (Olov Skötkonung), as depicted on a coin of his
context_page_description: Viking coinage was used during the Viking Age of northern Europe. Prior to the usage and minting of coins, the Viking economy was predominantly a bullion economy, where the weight and size of a particular metal is used as a method of evaluating value, as opposed to the value being determined by the specific type of coin. By the ninth century, the Viking raids brought them into contact with cultures well familiarised with the use of coins in economies of Europe, hence influencing the Vikings own production of coins.
  Within Scandinavia itself, Vikings were aware of coins from various regions including the Islamic areas of the day, bringing further influence. Before minting of their own coinage, a flow of international coins provided the basis for an early economy with which to develop.
  Danish ruled kingdoms in the British Isles, known as the Danelaw, began to model their own coins on rulers in addition to various Christian imagery. Within Scandinavia, the adoption of particular coinages within each of the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian coinages became evident towards the late 990s.
context_section_description: The import of foreign coins into Sweden started around the year 800, continuing until approximately 1150 when the local minting of coins became more common. Predominantly, Islamic dirhams were imported into Sweden via Russia, with additional circulation coming from Germany, England and elsewhere. A high silver content was necessary providing weight standards for which to value the bullion.
  Sweden’s native coinage began towards the 990s with the king Olof Skötkonung, issuing coins with his own image and title. The royal coinage was mainly produced around the town of Sigtuna and based on English coinage. Finds have linked these coins to Sigtuna based on die links as well as relationships between the imagery. King Anund Jacob continued the minting of coins in Sigtuna but was discontinued towards the end of his reign. The minting was likely resumed under the reign of King Canute I.
  Generally, the coinage was primitive in comparison to others of the period, with varying weight and meaningless inscriptions. These coins could have been used as a means of payment for soldiers as opposed to having a sole use in trading, resulting in this primitive type of coinage. Christian imagery and resemblances were common in early Swedish coinage, modelling Anglo-Saxon coinage including inscriptions such as ‘IN NOMINE DOMINI’, meaning ‘In the name of the Lord’, as well as cross symbols. Coinage from Sigtuna came to a conclusion around 1030.
caption: Coin of Olof Skötkonung, minted at Sigtuna
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