This reproduction Cnut Penny is moulded directly from an original coin and is made from lead-free pewter.
Housed in specially designed packaging, the coin pack has images of Vikings in ships on the front, the two coins in the collection inside, as well as historical information about the coins and about the rise and fall of the Vikings.
Cnut was a Viking who became king of England in 1016. The original penny coin would have been struck in Lincoln between 1017-1023. The obverse of the coin depicts the bust of Cnut and the reverse a long cross.
The term Viking is used to refer to the Scandinavian explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, and settled in wide areas of Europe and the North Atlantic islands.
Using their longships to travel by sea, the Vikings initially raided Britain, particularly monasteries, which were easy targets with great wealth. By the late 9th century, the Vikings had settled and gained control of two thirds of Britain, with Jorvik (York) the base for Viking kings and Viking trade.
In 1066 England was conquered by the Normans under William, The Conqueror. They took over all of England, and in 1069 burned Jorvik. This was the end of the Viking Age.
