Tunsberg

 

 Above: lead plate with imprint of three S-bracteate dies (bracteate sampler) 

  
Above: bracteate from the reign of Håkon Håkonsson 

 Below: penny from Eirik Magnusson 

 

 

Eirik Magnusson (1280-1299) is the only coin issuer who unambiguously specifies Tunsberg as a mint site in coin inscriptions: CASTRUM TUNSBERGIS. Since "castrum" means "fort" in Latin, this indicates that the coins were struck at the fort Tunsberghus. 

It has been suggested that coins were minted in Tunsberg during the reign of Sverre Sigurdsson (1177-1202). The hypothesis is based on the occurrence of the letter T as a motif on bracteates. It is not clear, however, whether these bracteate letters indicate the mint, the issuing authority or something else. 

A bracteate sampler from King Sverre's reign was found in Tønsberg ? a small, thin copper plate with three imprints of S inside two regular circles. The trouble with this is that the imprints are of the letter S and not T, as many had hoped and expected to find in Tønsberg. 

  
 
 

Monetary units: 
Penny, bracteate
Issuing authority: 
Eirik Magnusson