Viking Sword 9th – 10th Century

Petersen Type K, Wheeler Type IV With Blade Inscription. A river bed find from the Danube in found condition with tapering double edged blade with inscription which is not legible within the central fuller, some old corrosion damage to lower fuller otherwise stable, robust and straight including the tip.  Robust tang tapers in width. Five lobe pommel with platen – copper cross pattern and curved end cross piece with matching pattern of decoration. A prestigious sword of great importance due to its size and style of decoration. Previously unrecorded. Provenance: Found in River Danube in Hungary, unknown date. Please see Ian Pearce, Swords Of The Viking Age (2002) pp.63-73 for recorded examples of this type. Viking swords with inscriptions have been found across Europe, Scandinavia, Britain and Russia. The indistinct blade inscription could be revealed through X-Ray analysis, and from closer inspection is similar to examples in Ian Pearce, pg 7-9 with possible ULFBERHT inscription plusher letters. It is possible that this sword was made by one of the best Frankish makers and found in an area used as a route by Varangians – Viking Mercenaries as well as resident Magyars overall length 94.5cm the blade79.5cm