Raven Banner Penny facts for kids
"Raven Banner Penny"
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The Raven Banner Penny is a special coin from a long time ago. It was made by a king named Olaf Sihtricson (also known as Amlaíb Cuarán). He was a Norse-Gael, which means he had both Norse (Viking) and Gaelic (Irish/Scottish) family roots. This coin was minted, or made, when he was king of a place called Jórvík (which is now York, England) between the years 941 and 944 AD. He later became king of Dublin too.
People call it the "Raven Banner Penny" because of the picture on one side. It shows a triangular flag, or banner, with little tassels hanging off it. This looks a lot like descriptions of the famous raven banner, a war flag used by Vikings. But here's the interesting part: the coin's banner has a cross on it, not a raven! The other side of the coin shows a design called a triquetra, which is a symbol made of three interlocking loops.
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History of the Raven Banner Penny
Olaf Sihtricson, born around 927 AD, was a powerful leader in the 10th century. His nickname, Cuarán, means "sandal." He was a very important figure from a family called the Uí Ímair, who played a big role in the history of the British Isles. The Raven Banner Pennies were made in the early 940s during his rule in Jórvík.
What the Coin Shows
This ancient coin has two main sides, just like coins today.
The Front Side: Obverse Image
The front side of the coin is called the obverse. It features a triquetra symbol, which looks like three connected loops. Around this symbol, there's writing that says: "ANLAF CVNVNC." This means "Olaf King." It's cool because the word "CVNVNC" is an early form of the Old Norse word for king, not the usual Latin word "REX" that was common on coins then. This makes it one of the oldest known examples of Old Norse writing using the Latin alphabet!
The Back Side: Reverse Image
The back side of the coin is called the reverse. It shows a triangular banner with a cross on it. This banner has a rounded edge with small tabs or tassels hanging down. The pole holding the banner also has a cross or maybe a trefoil (a three-leaf shape) at its end. Around the banner, the coin says: "FARMAN MONETA." This means "Farman the moneyer." A moneyer was the person who made the coins at the mint.
Banners like this were common war flags during the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries. Many kings and leaders used them in battles.
See also
- Raven Penny
- Curmsun Disc
- Scandinavian York
- Runes
- Cultural depictions of ravens
