Early 9th century AD. A double-edged sword of Petersen's Type E with visible fullers, copper-inlaid runic symbols to one side of the blade, the other side with a Latin cross; the hilt with boat-shaped guard decorated with silver-inlaid circular segments, recently added fixing rivets, three-lobed pommel with inlaid vertical segments. See Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Geibig, A., Beiträge zur morphologischen Entwicklung des Schwertes im Mittelalter, Neumünster, 1991; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; Kainov, S.Yu., ‘????? ?????? ? ???? ? ???????? ????????’ in ??????? ?????????? ???.2. ??????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? '??????? ??????????' ??? ??????????????? ???????????? ?????, 2011, pp.147-152; Kainov, S. Yu. ‘Swords from Gn?zdovo’ in Acta Militaria Mediaevalia VIII, pp.7-68; Williams, G., Pentz, P. & Wemhoff, M., Vikings Life and Legend, London, 2014; the sword presents a very similar shape to two Frankish swords of the same typology, one with 'VLFBERH+T' inscription (Williams, Pentz, Wemhoff, 2014, pp.81,102) and various specimens published by Kainov (2011, p.152, figs.10,13,16"). 1.4 kg, 97cm (38 1/4"). From a private family collection; previously acquired from a collection formed before 1990; thence by descent; accompanied by an archaeological report by weapon specialist Dr. Raffaele D'Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10203-167294. Petersen regarded Type E as an early type, originating at least in the first half of the ninth century, particularly associated with the region around Trondheim in Norway. Most characteristic of this type is the massive iron hilt decorated with an array of closely spaced circular indentations upon the face of the pommel and guards (in our specimen they are very shallow) which frequently may also be decorated with parallel inlaid silver or copper stripes.