Penning, Sigtuna, Olof Skötkonung, circa 1000–1020

Why is this coin square? It might have been easier and quicker to cut a square coin blank than a round one. And because the coin’s value was determined by the amount of silver it contained, it didn’t really matter if it weighed a bit more or less than other silver coins. The value was determined using a scale. And if you had silver jewellery to pay with, that worked just as well as long as the silver was of good quality.

Image rights: Helena Bonnevier, Ekonomiska museet - Kungliga myntkabinettet/SHM (CC BY 4.0)

Object number: 119416_KMK

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