Pfennig, Holy Roman Empire, Visé, circa 1076–1091
This coin was struck in the town of Visé, probably by Bishop Henry I in around 1076–1091. The city was part of the Holy Roman Empire in those days, and is now in Belgium. The obverse (front) of the coin features a cross between two heads, king and bishop. On the reverse (back) is a backward-looking stag, which was sometimes used to symbolise Christ. The flow of German coins to Scandinavia was strongest between about 990 and 1055, but continued at a significant level until the 1140s.
