A 10th century viking sword in remarkable condition has sold as one of the highlights in Artemis Gallery's Exceptional Antiquities auction, held on October 23 in Colorado.
 Vikings were present in England from 793 until the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, when they lost their final battle to the English |
The sword was originally found in Cornwall, England in the 1970s. Made from solid iron, it sold for $15,000.
The sword is stamped with a Coptic cross on the blade just below a crescent shaped pommel. It was published in the 2004 book Swords of the Viking age by Ian Pierce and Ewart Oakeshott.
Such swords are highly prized by collectors, particularly when their provenance is well known. A broadsword looted during the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 appeared at Christie's with a $205,000 high estimate earlier this year.
The cover lot of the sale was a 1st to 2nd century AD Roman glass jar, which boasts a silvery iridescence below a layer of black patina built up through the centuries. It made $2,000, selling within its $1,800-2,500 estimate.
The top-selling piece was a fantastic Roman marble bust of a young man dating to the mid 3rd century AD (Severan period). Depicting a young aristocrat with a finely trimmed beard, it is typical of the works of the period.
It made $15,750.
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