ЧИ КАРБУВАЛИ МОНЕТИ ДАНСЬКІ ХЕРСІРИ В СЕРЕДИНІ ХІ СТОЛІТТЯ?
DID THE DANISH CHERSIRS MINT COINS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE XI CENTURY?

Summary/Abstract: This study continues the author's attempts to highlight the issue of circulation in medieval Ukraine of denarii of various European countries. The purpose of the article is to attempt to attribute a medieval denarius found in the Kyiv region. Research methodology. The methods of historicism, generalisation, objectivity, historical and typological, comparative analysis were used. Scientific novelty. Based on the analysis of the images and the inscription on the obverse of the coin, the author concludes that the denarius is an imitation of the English penny of King Cnut the Great of the ‘Short Cross’ type. The search for analogues of the reverse images led to the conclusion that the coin partially imitates one type of denarius minted by Cnut as Danish king in the city of Viborg (Central Jutland). However, we have not found a similar coin in the available catalogues. Conclusions. The characteristic features of the found denarius are its weight corresponding to the denomination of half a denarius and the absence of the coin in catalogues and finds, which indicates a significantly limited number of its issues. The author suggests that it could have been minted by a local khersir (jarl, bond) in Central Jutland, and that the minting period could have been the so-called Stridsperioden (Civil War), which literally means «time of disputes» – the name Danish historians use to describe the period when Danish and Norwegian claimants (Magnus the Good, Harald the Harsh, and Sven Estridsen) fought for the Danish throne. During this period, around 1044–1047, different issuers minted coins – imitations with distorted inscriptions or coins of previous rulers. This was done in order not to show their favour to any of the contenders. And to distinguish it from this official coinage, its weight is actually that of half a denarius. At the same time, the imitation of Viborg's coins is indicated by publications by Danish numismatists on the repetition of the reverse later on coins by Sven Estridsen. Although some of these denarii could have been issued during Sven Estridsen's struggle for the Danish throne.

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