Stamps celebrate UK Viking history
- Published
New stamps are being issued that celebrate the history and legacy of Vikings in Britain. The eight stamps also mark 40 years since the Jorvik Viking Centre opened in York. This one shows an ancient bronze brooch found in Somerset.
The Vikings first reached the British Isles towards the end of the 8th Century and they transformed Britain. They had a lasting influence on society, towns, cities, and even the words we use today.
The set of eight stamps features artefacts and locations of particular significance to Viking Britain.
The finds shown include an iron, silver and copper sword, silver and bronze brooches, and this antler comb and case from Coppergate, York, where the Yorvick Centre is based.
Also shown is a Hogback gravestone from Govan Old, Glasgow. Some experts say this design is meant to look like a feasting hall in the afterlife, or like an overturned long boat.
This silver penny was found to be minted in York and shows the name of the Danish leader Olaf Guthfrithsson who ruled areas in both Ireland and northern England.
Also featured is a picture of a Norse settlement in Shetland, a part of the UK which celebrates its Viking heritage at the annual Up Helly Aa festival.