Northern Europe, Viking period, ca. 800 to 950 CE. A fine iron sword, probably of Type H from Jan Petersen's classification scheme. The sword has a flat blade without any ridge or gutter that is straight-sided for most of its length before abruptly tapering to a sharp tip. The guard is narrow and rectangular, inserted over a long tang that ends in an attached tripartite pommel. The relatively narrow guard is the reason to classify the sword Type H, which covers a wide range of time during the Viking period. The tang would have been wrapped with leather or some other perishable material to form a handle. Size: 2.875" W x 21.75" H (7.3 cm x 55.2 cm); 4.5" H (11.4 cm) on included custom stand.

A Viking's sword was a hugely valuable object, passed down through families as an heirloom, and probably the most expensive item that a Viking could own. For example, from the hundreds of items found in Viking burials in Iceland, only sixteen are swords; they are more common in other parts of the Viking world, especially in Norway, but were still a high-status item. For example, the Laxdaela Saga describes an iron sword given by King Haakon the Good (king of Norway from 934 to 961 CE) to the Icelander Hoskuldur that was worth a half mark of gold, or the value of sixteen dairy cows, which was a tremendous sum for the time.

Provenance: ex-private German collection

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#127463

Encrusted iron patina over surface, with a slight bend to the pommel. Form is extremely clear.