Watch List notes:

ANGLO-SAXON, Kings of All England. Æthelred II. 978-1016. AR Penny (20mm, 1.58 g, 5h). Helmet type (BMC viii, Hild. E). Eoferwic (York) mint; Kolgrimr, moneyer. Struck 1003-1009. Helmeted and armored bust left / + COL GRO : M M• O EOF, voided long cross with triple-crescent ends and pellet at center; in each quarter, trefoil on pile. Cf. Blackburn, Hiberno C1 (rev. die 'a' – for reverse, here linked to Hiberno-Norse issue); SCBI 29 (Merseyside), 573 (same obv. die); North 775; SCBC 1152. VF, find patina, peck mark. Rare reverse die linked to Hiberno-Norse series.

This coin is clearly struck from dies of English workmanship however the moneyer Kolgrimr (Colgrim), also struck coins of the Helmet type from one obverse die which was produced by a die cutter working for Sihtric Silkbeard, the Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin (see Blackburn in K. Jonsson ed. Studies In Late Anglo-Saxon Coinage, Stockholm, 1990, pp 9 - 24). To quote Blackburn: 'How a York moneyer came to acquire a Hiberno-Norse die is a matter of speculation. The die cutter could have visited York, but if he did so one might expect to find more than one of his dies used there. Most likely is it that Colgrim or some intermediary acquired the die when visiting Dublin.' Blackburn lists 19 specimens struck from the same Hiberno-Norse obverse die. It would appear that known specimens of the Helmet type for Kolgrimr at York from English obverse dies number less than ten.