Starting with C. Julius Caesar the Roman emperors not only minted coins but – at first only occasionally, since the second century AD more regularly – medallions as well. We do not know how the Romans called these special products of the imperial mint – but most of them...

This text reproduces a keynote lecture given on 29 April 2015 at a conference on the theme of ‘Displays of Power and Authority in Premodern and Early Modern Times’ at the Forum for Advanced Studies in Arts, Language and Theology (SALT) in Uppsala.

The Viking Phenomenon

The use of coins as pendants is a common practice in the Scandinavian Viking Age (c. AD 800–1140). About three per cent of the coins circulating in Scandinavia show signs of having been adapted for suspension, either with a small hole or a loop. Modifying coins in this ...

The kings of Norway issued coins on a regular basis starting in the mid-11th century, and probably conducted renovatio monetae whenever a new king came to power. As a privilege of bona regalia, the king could use coin production to serve his own interests. Economic fact...