A cool Viking newp

EVillageProwler

Just bought a very cool coin, a Halvbrakteat of Harald I Blåtand (Bluetooth) of Denmark. Harald was the grandfather of Cnut, King of England (and also of Denmark, Norway and part of Sweden).

Here is the lot description and image from CNG109:

DENMARK. Harald Blåtand (Bluetooth). Circa 958/9-986. AR Halvbrakteat (18mm, 0.36 g, 6h). Imitating class 2 deniers of Charlemagne from Dorestadt. Haithabu (Hedeby) mint. Struck circa 960s-970s. Large crescent flanked by two lines / Four parallel vertical lines; double crescent above. Malmer, Nordiska, Group KG 9b-c; Hauberg 1; Hauberg Collection 1-8. EF, attractive iridescent toning.

From the BRN Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Review XL.2 (Summer 2015), no. 407391; Classical Numismatic Review XIX.4 (Fourth Quarter 1994), no. 426.

For a recent analysis of this coinage, and place within the coinage of King Harald, see J. C. Moesgaard, King Harald’s Cross Coinage: Christian Coins for the Merchants of Haithabu and the King’s Soldiers (Copenhagen, 2015).

Weiss

Beautiful. Looks as struck.

TwoKopeiki

Cool newp. I love how with these designs catalogers have to get creative with names for different shapes of lines

Bob13

Groovy!

EVillageProwler

Thanks folks.

@TwoKopeiki said:
Cool newp. I love how with these designs catalogers have to get creative with names for different shapes of lines

Yeah, I’d have written “chicken scratch” and that’s that. Lol.

TomB

I think it's beautiful.

Stork

Bluetooth/Blue--I like it! Seriously cool.

Kyle

A neat coin with lovely toning!

amwldcoin

The obv.(left pic?) strikes me as a Pterodactyl!

EVillageProwler

@amwldcoin said:
The obv.(left pic?) strikes me as a Pterodactyl!

Yes, I can see that. So my description should say "Pterodactyl scratch" instead of "chicken scratch".

@TomB said:
I think it's beautiful.

@Stork said:
Bluetooth/Blue--I like it! Seriously cool.

@Kyle said:
A neat coin with lovely toning!

Thanks all. I haven't seen it in hand so I am seriously hoping that the coin does not disappoint when I receive. it.

EVP

AuldFartte

That is a gorgeous coin. I doubt it ever circulated based on the condition. And I love that toning! Very nice pickup!

Zohar

Exceptional.

Icollecteverything

My 1/2 Viking brain is seeing all kinds of things in that coin. It's an 1,100 year old piece of abstract art.