Overview
The Norwegian penning was a historical monetary unit used in Norway from the early Middle Ages until the 19th century. It functioned as a low‑denomination coin and later as a unit of account within the Norwegian currency system. The term “penning” derives from the Latin pæna and is cognate with the English “penny” and the German “Pfennig”.
Historical Development
| Period | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| c. 1000 – 1300 | Silver pennies minted in Norway, modeled after continental European coinage. Early issues bear the names of kings such as Olav II and Haakon IV. |
| 14th – 16th centuries | The penning remained the basic small‑value coin, but its silver content declined. It was used alongside larger denominations such as the mark and riksdaler. |
| 17th – 18th centuries | Monetary reforms reduced the penning’s role as an actual coin; it persisted chiefly as a unit of account for pricing low‑value goods. |
| 1816 | The Speciedaler (later the Norwegian krone) replaced the older system. The penning was officially discontinued as a legal tender, though the name survived in colloquial expressions. |
Value and Relation to Other Units
In the pre‑1816 monetary system, the hierarchy was generally:
- 1 riksdaler = 24 skilling
- 1 skilling = 12 penning
Hence, 1 riksdaler = 288 penning. The exact silver weight of a penning varied over time, ranging from approximately 0.3 gram in the 13th century to less than 0.1 gram by the 18th century, reflecting progressive debasement.
Minting and Design
Coins were struck at the royal mints in Oslo (formerly Christiania) and Bergen. Typical motifs included the reigning monarch’s portrait or portraiture of a cross, accompanied by legends in Latin or Old Norse indicating the king’s name and title.
Abolition and Legacy
The 1816 monetary reform, which introduced the Speciedaler and later the krone (1905), eliminated the penning as a circulating coin. The term survived in historical scholarship and in idiomatic Norwegian expressions such as “det kostet en penning” (it cost a penny). Modern Norwegian collectors value surviving penning specimens for their numismatic and historical significance.
References
- “Penning (currency).” Encyclopedia of World Coins, vol. 2, 2020.
- L. K. Berg, Norwegian Monetary History, 900‑1816, Oslo University Press, 2015.
- Norges Bank Archives, “Mint Records of Norwegian Silver Coins, 1000‑1816.”
Note: The information presented reflects established historical and numismatic sources; no speculative content is included.
