Norwegian Coin Distribution During the Reign of Håkon Håkonsson Liam Gladden Master’s Thesis in Viking and Medieval Studies 60 Credits Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Oslo November 2018 1 Abstract The goal of this thesis is to develop a method of understanding coin distribution in Norway in order to identify probable locations for mints. This is done by comparing the distribution of English coin finds from the Middle Ages to the distribution of Norwegian types coin, dated to the reign of Håkon Håkonsson. Observations made from analyzing English coin finds would suggest that coins from a specific mint are more likely to be found in the area around the mint. Therefore a greater proportions of coin finds from a specific mint are found in the regions around the mint of origin. Some Norwegian coin types seem to adhere to this trend in coin distribution, however, the distribution of the Norwegian portrait type coin may indicate the presence of a travelling mint in Norway. 2 Preface Through this thesis, I have tried to establish a possible method for interpreting the distribution of Norwegian coin finds from the reign of Håkon Håkonsson in order to locate the probable locations of mints in 13th century Norway. The fact that this thesis has been completed is due in large to the support and guidance I have received from Svein H. Gullbekk over the last year. Svein’s support helped me to develop new ideas in a field of study I had previously been unfamiliar with. I would also like to extent my thanks to Mikael Males, at the University of Oslo, who helped me develop the initial ideas for my thesis and encouraged me to reach out to Svein. I would like to dedicate this thesis to my family back home in Canada, whose support allowed me to pursue my studies overseas. Your support over the past few years has been immense. I would also like to specifically dedicate this thesis to my grandmother, Eleanor Toner, whose love for collecting coins must have nudged me towards the topic of this thesis. 3 Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................................5 Theory and Methodology........................................................................................................................8 Norwegian Historical Context...............................................................................................................20 The Reign of Håkon Håkonsson...........................................................................................................24 Norwegian Towns and Church Provinces............................................................................................27 The Question of Geography..................................................................................................................30 Money......................................................................................................................................................31 Coin Finds...............................................................................................................................................33 Medieval Commerce and Coin Use......................................................................................................35 English Coin Finds.................................................................................................................................40 13th Century English Coin Finds...........................................................................................................45 Context of Henry III’s Reign as King of England...............................................................................45 English Coin Collection and Analysis...................................................................................................50 Presenting Norwegian Church Finds...................................................................................................59 Nordland and Trøndelag.......................................................................................................................59 Vestlandet................................................................................................................................................63 Oppland and Oslo Fjord........................................................................................................................65 Kungahalla..............................................................................................................................................67 Analysis of Norwegian Coin Finds.......................................................................................................68 England and Norway; A Comparative Perspective............................................................................77 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................................81 Bibliography...........................................................................................................................................83 Table 1.....................................................................................................................................................51 Table 2.....................................................................................................................................................52 Table 3.....................................................................................................................................................61 Table 4.....................................................................................................................................................65 Table 5.....................................................................................................................................................66 Table 6.....................................................................................................................................................68 Figure 1...................................................................................................................................................42 Figure 2...................................................................................................................................................55 Figure 3...................................................................................................................................................56 Figure 4...................................................................................................................................................57 Figure 5...................................................................................................................................................69 Illustration 1...........................................................................................................................................70 Illustration 2...........................................................................................................................................71 Illustration 3...........................................................................................................................................71 Illustration 4...........................................................................................................................................72 Illustration 5...........................................................................................................................................72 Illustration 6...........................................................................................................................................73 Illustration 7...........................................................................................................................................73 4 Introduction This thesis will explore methods of interpreting coin distribution in order to determine the probable locations of Norwegian mints during the reign of the Norwegian king, Håkon Håkonsson. During the reign of Håkon Håkonsson, a variety of coin types were produced and used in circulation. These coins have been excavated at various church sites dating to the medieval period across Norway. I believe that these coin types can be used to determine the location of Norwegian mints. In England, the distribution of coins have been studied by numismatists like, Michael Metcalf, Rory Naismith and J. L. Bolton.1 In the English context, coins have been unearthed with the location of the place of origin already known due to the presence of the name of the mint place on the surface of the coin. The English evidence for coin finds is prolific, especially in the case of single coin finds. During the last decades metal detectors have been used to find thousands, if not tens of thousands, of coins that provide scholars with a basis for the analysis of coin circulation. Even though metal detecting finds from Norway are much less frequent in comparison to those found in England, single finds from Norwegian medieval churches provide more than 10,000 finds from the period between the years 1180 and 1320.2 The evidence for single finds and hoards from secular and ecclesiastical contexts are, of course, different in both their nature and their scope. Still, the distribution of coin types provides insight