Svein Harald Gullbekk

• Hope, Steffen Andre Birkeland; Bogucki, Mateusz & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2025). Coinage, the Cult of Saints, and the Legitimization of Elites in Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Poland and Norway. In Jezierski, Wojciech; Orning, Hans Jacob & Pac, Grzegorz (Ed.), Legitimation of the Elites in High Medieval Poland and Norway: Comparative Studies. Brepols. ISSN 9782503611617. p. 289–319. doi: 10.1484/m.cpmh-eb.5.144713. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Between the years 1000 and 1300, the two developing polities of Norway and Poland often followed similar trends. Both realms were located on what was considered the periphery of Europe, both joined Latin Christendom — and with it, the wider sphere of European cultural influence — at the turn of the first millennium, and both, by the end of the thirteenth century, had largely coalesced as stable kingdoms. Yet while the histories of these two countries have long been studied along national lines, it remains rarer for them to be considered outside of their traditional geographical context, and studied via comparison with events elsewhere. This innovative volume seeks to explore the means and uses of symbolic power that were employed by religiopolitical elites in order to assert their legitimacy and dominance by taking an explicitly comparative approach and dual perspective on these two polities. What stories did elites tell themselves and others about their deservedness to rule, what spaces and objects did they utilize in order to project their elevated status, and how did struggle and rivalry form part of their societal dominance? Formed from chapters co-written by experts in Polish and Norwegian history, this unique volume not only reflects on the similarities and differences between events in these two polities, but also more broadly offers conceptual tools and comparative frameworks that can enhance our wider understanding of the conditions and factors that shaped religiopolitical behaviour on the peripheries.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; O'Neill, Sean & Walsh, Matthew J. (2025). Measuring trust. Identifying attitudes towards money in the Eleventh Century. Viking Special Volume. ISSN 3084-1097. 3, p. 191–210. doi: 10.5617/vikingsv.12204. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A relatively swift transition from a silver bullion economy to a coin-based monetary market- exchange system in Norway in the eleventh century CE coincided with both the new emergence of a sustained state-scale society and a widely accepted conversion to Christianity in the twilight of the Viking Age. However, what is less well-understood are the ideological dynamics of the transition itself. In this paper we propose that there was an empirically visible stage during the eleventh century during which traders slowly came to accept the legitimacy of coinage, and by association many aspects of a larger imagined community, far beyond the close-at-hand authority of local chiefdoms and in support of a wholly new, continental- style monarchy. We present as a case study the clear material evidence for a gradually growing trust and confidence in new coinage issued under the expanding authority of the king by way of an identifiable reduction in the practice of pecking coins, as in testing its precious metal quality, indicating increased trust in the authority of the issuer, Harald Hardrada. We propose that this entailed a process of symbolic entrainment, with the coins being seen ultimately as valuable in their own right, apart from value based solely on their precious metal content alone.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2025). Magnus Lagabøte – lovgiver og myntreformator | Collegium Medievale. Collegium Medievale. ISSN 0801-9282. 38(2), p. 75–100. doi: https:/ojs.novus.no/index.php/CM/article/view/2493. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article examines King Magnus Lagabøte’s monetary reforms and theirsignificance for monetary policy in the context of medieval Norway. It contendsthat while Magnus is predominantly recognized as a legislator, his reforms of themonetary system mark critical turning points in Norwegian monetary history,establishing a stable monetary framework comparable to those in other parts ofEurope. The author highlights two principal reforms: a recoinage (Latin:Renovatio monetae) initiated shortly after his succession in 1264/5, which involvedthe exchange of old coins for a fresh royal coinage, thereby securing royal accessto silver and generating opportunities for extraordinary revenues. By the end ofthe king’s reign, a discernible shift occurred from small, thin, one-sided bracteatesto robust two-sided coins, influenced by contemporary currencies such as theEnglish sterling and the French gros tournois. The new coinage adhered to Eu-ropean standards, albeit with a reduced silver content. This monetary systemintroduced multiple denominations, a development further refined during theregency of his son, Eirik Magnusson (after 1280), when pennies, half-pennies,and quarter-pennies were issued. This system emerged as the most sophisticatedamong the Scandinavian kingdoms of the period. Legislative measures, papalrecords of tax collections, and archaeological evidence suggest that the king’s rightto mint was a vital royal privilege. Notably, laws against counterfeiting werecodified in the Landsloven, representing the first legislative measures concerningsuch offenses in the Norwegian kingdom. Counterfeiting the king’s currency wasmet with Ubotamål, the most severe penalty established defined in the Landsloven.The right to mint served not only as a royal prerogative but also as a means tolegitimize the king’s authority and his role as a guarantor of a standardizedNorwegian coinage. Thus, King Magnus utilized the right to mint as an in-strument for the legal consolidation of the realm.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). Mynt og Penger. In Bauer, Egil Lindhart; Eriksen, Stefka G.; Hegdal, Håvard; Stige, Morten & Berge, Sara Langvik (Ed.), Det gamle Oslo 1000–1624. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202738464. p. 134–139. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I 1624 brant Oslo. Den nye byen Christiania ble etablert på andre siden av Bjørvika, nedenfor Akershus festning, og de nedbrente restene av Oslo ble jevnet med jorden. Området ble tatt i bruk til landbruk, og slik forsvant det gamle Oslo gradvis fra syn og sinn. Først med de store gravearbeidene for jernbanen fra slutten av 1800-tallet dukket restene av hus, kirker og borger igjen opp fra glemselen. De siste årene, med byggingen av Follobanen og utviklingen av Bjørvika-området, har arkeologiske utgravninger avdekket omfattende spor av middelalderens by og havn. Gjennom bidrag fra arkeologer, historikere, kunsthistorikere, bygnings-, religions-, tekst- og stedsnavnforskere, latinister og runologer, samler denne boka ny forskning og nye resultater fra disse utgravningene. Selv om mange sider av byens historie for alltid vil være tapt for oss, er kunnskapen om det gamle Oslo større enn noen gang.

• Orning, Hans Jacob & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). “Mislyktes vikingene?” Debatt med statsviter Stein Ringen om vikingtidens samfunn. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). ISSN 0804-3116. Full text in Research Archive
• Walsh, Matthew; Moen, Marianne; O`Neill, Sean; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Willerslev, Rane (2024). Introduction: In the darkest of days: Tracing human sacrifice through Scandinavian prehistory. In Walsh, Matthew; O'Neill, Sean & Sørensen, Lasse (Ed.), In the Darkest of Days: Exploring Human Sacrifice and Value in Southern Scandinavian Prehistory. Oxbow Books. ISSN 9781789258592. Full text in Research Archive
• Engh, Line Cecilie; Aavitsland, Kristin Margrethe Bliksrud; Johansson, Karl G.; Jørgensen, Jon Gunnar; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). An Introduction to Standardization in the Middle Ages. In Engh, Line Cecilie; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (Ed.), Standardization in the Middle Ages. Vol. 1: The North. De Gruyter Brill. ISSN 9783110773712. p. 1–17. doi: 10.1515/9783110773712-001. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of the introduction is twofold: to present central theories on standardization, and to discuss how to frame and use the concept of standardization in the Middle Ages. We argue that standardization proceeded by way of flux and flexibility: negotiations, interpretations, and adaptations. We suggest that such processes are possibly even required for successful standardization to take place. On the surface, the tensions between center and periphery, unity and diversity, predictability and flexibility, and standards and variations may seem like cases of order versus confusion: as if medieval people aspired to homogeneity but constantly succumbed to chaos. But, in fact, the two poles - on the one hand unitas and predictability and on the other, varietas and flexibility - are two sides of the same coin. It takes attention to both poles to understand processes of standardization in the Middle Ages. Finally, the introduction presents the chapters of the book, which pursue lines of interrogation that oscillate between Bronze Age weights and the Exchequer Standards, Roman script and the Vadstena cursive, Gulathingslaw and Gratian, the parochial system and Hólar bishopric, medieval seals and modern restaurants, Nidaros and Constantinople, Hovedøya and Clairvaux, coinage of Viking Ribe and Eucharist bread wafers, Skaldic and Christian poetry, and more.

• Engh, Line Cecilie; Aavitsland, Kristin Bliksrud; Johansson, Karl G.; Jørgensen, Jon Gunnar; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Introduction to Standardization in the Middle Ages. In Engh, Line Cecilie; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (Ed.), Standardization in the Middle Ages. Volume 1: The North. De Gruyter Brill. ISSN 9783110773552. p. 1–17. doi: 10.1515/9783110773712-001. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of the introduction is twofold: to present central theories onstandardization, and to discuss how to frame and use the concept of standardiza-tion in the Middle Ages. We argue that standardization proceeded by way of fluxand flexibility: negotiations, interpretations, and adaptations. We suggest thatsuch processes are possibly evenrequiredfor successful standardization to takeplace. On the surface, the tensions between center and periphery, unity and di-versity, predictability and flexibility, and standards and variations may seem likecases of order versus confusion: as if medieval people aspired to homogeneity butconstantly succumbed to chaos. But, in fact, the two poles–on the one handuni-tasand predictability and on the other,varietasand flexibility–are two sides ofthe same coin. It takes attention to both poles to understand processes of stan-dardization in the Middle Ages. Finally, the introduction presents the chapters ofthe book, which pursue lines of interrogation that oscillate between Bronze Ageweights and the Exchequer Standards, Roman script and the Vadstena cursive,Gulathingslaw and Gratian, the parochial system and Hólar bishopric, medievalseals and modern restaurants, Nidaros and Constantinople, Hovedøya and Clair-vaux, coinage of Viking Ribe and Eucharist bread wafers, Skaldic and Christianpoetry, and more.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Walsh, Matthew & Moen, Marianne (2024). Standardization of Ritual Offerings: The Eucharist, Human Sacrifice and Monetization. In Engh, Line Cecilie; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (Ed.), Standardization in the Middle Ages. Vol. 1: The North. De Gruyter Brill. ISSN 9783110773712. p. 201–228. Full text in Research Archive
• Risvaag, Jon Anders & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Money as provocation: the coinage of Archbishop Jon Raude (1268-82). Numismatic Chronicle. ISSN 0078-2696. 183, p. 335–350. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the period 1222-81, the archbishops of Nidaros (Trondheim) were permitted by a royal grant of King Håkon Håkonsson to issue coins. This privilege was reconfirmed in 1273 and 1277 but was subsequently withdrawn by King Eirik Magnusson’s regency government as part of the revocation of the 1277 concordate of Tunsberg (Sættargjerden) in 1281. The reasons for and consequences of the loss of minting rights have been overshadowed by other discussions on the events of the Church-State conflict of the 1280s. In this article, we argue that the loss was a consequence of a deliberate provocation by Archbishop Jon Raude (1268-82), who - contrary to expressed limitations of the royal grant - produced coins with his own image, thus placing himself on an equal footing with the king. Furthermore, the loss of minting rights must have been an economic setback for the archbishop as it blocked his access to the revenues of coin production. The privilege was not restored until 1483.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Andrews, Murray (2023). Was Norway rich or poor in the year 1000? In Russow, Erki; Dabolinš, Viktors & Lang, Valter (Ed.), From Hoard to Archive: Numismatic Discoveries from the Baltic Rim and Beyond. Studies in Honour of Ivar Leimus. University of Tartu. ISSN 9789916272053. p. 145–158. Full text in Research Archive
• Dyrhaug, Sverre & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Peterspenger – en skatt for folk flest. Collegium Medievale. ISSN 0801-9282. 36, p. 169–218. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Peter’s pence is the earliest documented monetary tax known from the Norwegian Middle Ages. It was collected from ordinary parish members, from the establishment of the Norwegian Church province 1152/3 until the Reformation 1537. This article provides an account of how the Peter’s pence worked, in terms of collections in Norway and transfer of funds to the papacy in Rome and Avignon. Despite the modesty of individual contributions, the amounts transferred to the papal camera were considerable. During the seventy-five years from 1290 to 1364, a total of approximately 7,000 Norwegian marks were collected, equivalent to 330 kg of sterling quality silver, measured in gold some 5,000 florins (17-18 kg). From the 1360s onwards the silver famine in Northern Europe made it difficult to organize tax collections. In the early fifteenth century the flow of Peter’s pence picked up again. Funds from Peter’s pence were often handled and transferred together with other papal revenues: crusader tax, annates and servitias. At times, the tax flows to Rome and Avignon could put a strain on limited financial resources in Norway leading to sanctions on export of Norwegian currency and silver. In general, the papal taxes represented a driving force for monetization in the Norwegian medieval society, especially in rural areas.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Jürgensen, Martin Wangsgaard (2023). The Economy of Sacrifice: Christ, Coins and the Eucharist in the Middle Ages. In Walsh, Matthew; O'Neill, Sean; Moen, Marianne & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (Ed.), Human Sacrifice and Value: Revisiting the Limits of Sacred Violence from an Anthropological and Archaeological Perspective. Routledge. ISSN 9781032134864. doi: 10.4324/9781003242475-5. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). St. Peter’s Pence in Medieval Norway. In Boros, Mika; Aspetsberger, Agnes; Hartner, Johannes; Hylla, Alexandra; Lörnitzo, Anna & Prokisch, Bernhard (Ed.), Swer den pfenninc liep hât: Festschrift für Hubert Emmerig zum 65. Geburtstag. Instituts für Numismatik und Geldgeschichte der Universität Wien. ISSN 9783950426861. p. 157–166. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Anmeldelse: Michael Märcher, Tre møntskatte fra Lemvig, Stege og Engedal ved Viborg. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 91–91. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Anmeldelse: Morten Søberg, SVALBARD! PENGAR! Spartacus forlag: Oslo 2022. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 92–93. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). The Sigurðsson Hypothesis: Negotiating Silver and Money between the Rhine and Scandinavia, c. 975 to c. 1050. In Bonté, Rosalind; Orning, Hans Jacob & Allport, Benjamin (Ed.), Networks in the Medieval North. Studies in Honour of Jón Vidar Sigurdsson. Brepols. ISSN 9782503602387. p. 137–165. doi: 10.1484/M.NAW-EB.5.133049. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Walsh, Matthew & Moen, Marianne (2022). Cash on legs – Cattle as currency and pecunial sacrificials. In Ween, Gro Birgit & Lundblad, Michael (Ed.), Control: Attempting to Tame the World. Pax Forlag. ISSN 9788253043609. p. 212–218. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Poulsen, Bjørn & Ingvardsson, Gitte Tarnow (2021). Ph.d. om Danmarks monetarisering 1074-1241. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 124–125. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Risvaag, Jon Anders (2021). Norges eldste mynthistorie: Utmynting, myntsteder og myntenes funksjon – en kommentar. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 78–87. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Kilger, Christoph; Kristensen, Steinar & Roland, Håkon (2021). Money and Religious Devotion in Medieval Northern Europe. In Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Kilger, Christoph; Kristensen, Steinar & Roland, Håkon (Ed.), Coins in Churches Archaeology, Money and Religious Devotion in Medieval Northern Europe. Routledge. ISSN 9780367557065. p. 3–28. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book focuses on the formative period of Church reform in the Middle Ages in Northern Europe, when the Church paved the way for the development of money economy on its own doorstep. Church archaeology provides evidence for patterns of monetary use related to liturgy, church architecture and devotional culture through the centuries. This volume encompasses Alpine European evidence, with emphasis on Gotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, which opens up a new field of research on religion and money for an international audience. Based on 100,000 single finds of coins from the 11th to 18th centuries from 650 Scandinavian churches, the volume offers an in-depth discussion of the concepts of ritual, liturgy and devotional uses of money, monetary space and spiritual economy within the framework of Christendom, the medieval church and church architecture. Written by international scholars, Coins in Churches will be a valuable resource for readers interested in the history of religion, money, the economy, and church architecture in Northern Europe in the Middle Ages.

• Walsh, Matthew; Moen, Marianne; O'Neill, Sean; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Willerslev, Rane (2020). Who’s Afraid of the S-word? Deviants’ Burials and Human Sacrifice. Norwegian Archaeological Review. ISSN 0029-3652. doi: 10.1080/00293652.2020.1850853. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Zäch, Benedikt (2020). Introduction: Coin finds in churches and devotional use of money in the Middle Ages. Schweizerische numismatiche Rundschau. ISSN 0035-4163. 97, p. 9–31. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is well known that coin finds from medieval and early modern churches provide extraordinary sources for use of money, especially in Scandinavia and Central Alpine Europe, but also in other countries like Germany, Austria, France and Italy. Several thousand churches in total have been excavated. Church archaeology has developed within the Medieval and Early Modern archeology into a discipline of its own which forms an important part of the heritage management in many countries. In total more than 100,000 single finds of coins from ecclesiastical buildings has been recorded in Europe with an emphasis on Scandinavia and the Alpine regions, especially Switzerland. The total number for Europe is probably significantly higher, but still needs to be established. This material provides an unprecedented body of evidence for coin use in Christian contexts from the Early Church through the Middle Ages into the Early Modern period.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2020). Forestillinger om verdighet: St. Olavs ordenen til glede og besvær 1814-1920. Nordisk Tidskrift för vetenskap, konst och industri. ISSN 0029-1501. p. 381–390. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Money and Its Interpretation: Attitudes to Money in the Societas Christiana. In Naismith, Rory (Eds.), A Cultural History of Money in the Medieval Age. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781474237109. p. 125–150. doi: 10.5040/9781474206839.ch-006. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Sættem, Anette; Skogsfjord, Anne & Roland, Håkon (2019). Kildekritiske refleksjoner omkring metallsøking og myntfunn: Må mynthistorien skrives om? Viking - Norsk arkeologisk årbok. ISSN 0332-608X. p. 173–182. doi: 10.5617/viking.7121. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Metal detecting have led to a large increase in coin finds, and the findings increase year by year. Virtually every find before the detectors’ entry shows that the Norwegian coins are predominant in finds from the period 1050–1319. However, the detector finds provide different patterns of coin use compared to hoards, church finds, burial finds and single finds. Instead, coin finds recorded by metal detectorists provide an emphasis on foreign coins, especially English sterlings. New patterns of find distribution open up for radi- cal different interpretations of mining, coin circulation and the administration and use of money in Norway during the Middle Ages. The question is whether we can rely on the detector findings as scientific source material.

• Løvschal, Mette; Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Johansen, Mette-Louise; O'Neill, Sean; Walsh, Matthew & Willerslev, Rane (2019). Human sacrifice and value. Antiquity. ISSN 0003-598X. 93(370). doi: 10.15184/aqy.2019.104. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Human sacrifice is a well-attested and much mythologised phenomenon of human society, but what constitutes human sacrifice? Why is socially sanctioned violence considered sacrifice? And why are human lives sacrificed? New research uses archaeological case studies from Scandinavia to understand performative violence.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). The Elites and Money. In Sigurdsson, Jon Vidar; Poulsen, Bjørn & Vogt, Helle (Ed.), Nordic Elites in Transformation, c. 1050-1250, Volume I: Material Resources. Routledge. ISSN 9780367203054. p. 161–182. doi: 10.4324/9780429262210-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Ressurskrise og borgerkrig: Et mynt- og pengehistorisk perspektiv. Collegium Medievale. ISSN 0801-9282. 32(2 temanummer: Konflikter i middelalderens Norden), p. 193–216. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Coins and epigraphy: comments on literacy in eleventh-century Norway. In Bauer, Alessia; Kleivane, Elise & Spurkland, Terje (Ed.), Epigraphy in an intermedial context. Four Courts Press. ISSN 9781846827167. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Frelsens økonomi m/engelsk oversettelse: The Economy of Salvation. In Bjerregaard, Peter (Eds.), Forvandling - tro og hellige gjenstander i middelalderen. Museumsforlaget AS. ISSN 9788283050615. p. 78–83. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Mistet eller gjemt? m/engelsk oversettelse Lost or hidden? In Bjerregaard, Peter (Eds.), Forvandling - tro og hellige gjenstander i middelalderen. Museumsforlaget AS. ISSN 9788283050615. p. 74–77. Full text in Research Archive

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• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2026). Mørstad-skatten. Store Norske Leksikon (snl.no). doi: https:/snl.no/M%C3%B8rstad-skatten. Full text in Research Archive
• Orning, Hans Jacob & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). En reise til Roma i fotsporene til pilegrimen Nikolas Bergsson året 1152. Dreyer Forlag A/S. ISBN 9788282657167. 320 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Engh, Line Cecilie; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (2024). Standardization in the Middle Ages. Vol. 1: The North. De Gruyter Brill. ISBN 9783110773712. 285 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Engh, Line Cecilie; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (2024). Standardization in the Middle Ages. Volume 1: The North. De Gruyter Brill. ISBN 9783110773552. 253 p. doi: 10.1515/9783110773712. Full text in Research Archive
• Walsh, Matthew; O'Neill, Sean; Moen, Marianne & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Human Sacrifice and Value: Revisiting the Limits of Sacred Violence from an Anthropological and Archaeological Perspective. Routledge. ISBN 9781032134864. 423 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Kilger, Christoph; Kristensen, Steinar & Roland, Håkon (2021). Coins in Churches Archaeology, Money and Religious Devotion in Medieval Northern Europe. Routledge. ISBN 9780367557065. 454 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This book focuses on the formative period of Church reform in the Middle Ages in Northern Europe, when the Church paved the way for the development of money economy on its own doorstep. Church archaeology provides evidence for patterns of monetary use related to liturgy, church architecture and devotional culture through the centuries. This volume encompasses Alpine European evidence, with emphasis on Gotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, which opens up a new field of research on religion and money for an international audience. Based on 100,000 single finds of coins from the 11th to 18th centuries from 650 Scandinavian churches, the volume offers an in-depth discussion of the concepts of ritual, liturgy and devotional uses of money, monetary space and spiritual economy within the framework of Christendom, the medieval church and church architecture. Written by international scholars, Coins in Churches will be a valuable resource for readers interested in the history of religion, money, the economy, and church architecture in Northern Europe in the Middle Ages.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Pengene som forandret verden. En historie om gullmynt. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202719074. 234 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Sættem, Anette (2019). Norske myntfunn 1050-1319: Penger, kommunikasjon og fromhetskultur. Dreyer Forlag A/S. ISBN 9788282651714. 566 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Loftsgarden, Kjetil & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2026). Mørstadskatten på Rena – Østerdalen og Europa. doi: https:/klassekampen.no/artikkel/2026-06-01/debatt-morstadskatten-pa-rena-osterdalen-og-europa. Full text in Research Archive
• Smiseth, May-Tove; Wenn, Camilla Cecilie; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2026). Historien om Norges største myntskatt fra vikingtiden. doi: https:/riksantikvaren.no/kalender/riksantikvartimen-hor-historien-om-norges-storste-myntskatt-fra-vikingtiden/. Full text in Research Archive
• Bergstrøm, Ida Irene; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Risvaag, Jon Anders (2026). Fire mynter gjør vikingskatten på Rena helt spesiell. – Fantastisk spennende. [Internet]. Forskning.no. doi: https:/www.forskning.no/arkeologi-vikingtiden/fire-mynter-gjor-vikingskatten-pa-rena-helt-spesiell-fantastisk-spennende/2659781. Full text in Research Archive
• Opsahl, Erik; Sunde, Jørn Øyrehagen; Schmoeckel, Mathias; Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Mundal, Else & Njåstad, Magne (2025). Collegium Medievale Temanummer. doi: https:/ojs.novus.no/index.php/CM/issue/view/306. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). “Vikingtidsmuseet – blikk fra SENKU og numismatikken”. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det kommende Vikingtidsmuseet blir en bauta i museumsverdenen med en av de største arkeologiske utstillingene av vikingtiden. Hør professor Svein Gullbekk fortelle om den myntfaglige delen av utstillingen, samarbeidet mellom de ulike fagkompetansene og dilemmaer som uunngåelig oppstår når mange stemmer skal høres i et stort prestisjeprosjekt.

• Fasting, Mathilde; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (2024). En reise til Roma. [Internet]. Tankesmien Civita - videopodcast . Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hva får to professorer i middelalderhistorie til å sykle fra Norge til Roma i fotsporene til middelaldermunken Nikolas Bergsson fra Island? Hva er det som gjør 1100-tallet til et av de mest spennende århundrene i Europas historie? Sykkelturen ble til boken «En reise til Roma«. I denne digitale samtalen får vi blant annet vite mer om forskjellene mellom 1100-tallspilgrimer og moderne pilgrimer, og hvilken betydning arven fra 1100-tallet har hatt for EU og europeisk fellesskap. I panelet: Hans Jacob Orning, professor i historie Svein Harald Gullbekk, professor i numismatikk og historie Samtalen ledes av Mathilde Fasting.

• isaksen, torbjørn røe; Søberg, Morten; Hoel, Oddmund Løkensgard & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). #PolyBok: Lansering av boken «Banco Tornquist? Ferdaminne frå Buenos Aires og Falklandsøyane om bankverksemd og pengar». [Internet]. #Polybok: Polyteknisk Forenings bokbad-serie. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Om boken «Banco Tornquist? Ferdaminne frå Buenos Aires og Falklandsøyane om bankverksemd og pengar» Den argentinske investeringsbanken Banco Tornquist var finansiell fødselshjelpar for det fyrste norske oljeeventyret – på Sør-Georgia. Då var Sør-Georgia underlagd Falklandsøyane. Innbyggjarane der er i dag blant dei rikaste i verda takk vere krig og framsynt økonomisk politikk. Banco Tornquist handlar om kva vi kan læra om både bankverksemd og samfunnsutvikling av søratlantiske røynsler.

• Boros, Mika; Allport, Benjamin; Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Saltnes, Martin; Orning, Hans Jacob & Jezierski, Wojtek (2024). Speilbilder: Polen – Norge i middelalderen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Utstillingen «Speilbilder — Polen og Norge i middelalderen» ble laget av Kulturhistorisk museum (Universitetet i Oslo), i samarbeid med ELITES-prosjektet. Utstillingen ble offisielt åpnet 21. mars 2024 ved Historisk museum i Oslo vil være åpen fram til 31. desember 2024.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). “Vikingtidsmuseum, ikke vikingskipsmuseum”. Klassekampen. ISSN 0805-3839. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Debatt om finansiering av Vikingtidsmuseet på Bygdøy og statsbudsjettet

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). “Én konge, én lov, én mynt” Magnus Lagabøte som pengepolitiker. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Magnus Lagabøte – Lovgiver og pengepolitiker Magnus Lagabøte feires i disse dager som middelalderens store lovgiver. Mindre kjent er hans status som pengepolitiker. Han gjennomførte omfattende mynt- og pengepolitiske tiltak på riksnivå, både i begynnelsen og på slutten av sitt virke som norsk konge. Her viser Magnus seg som en realpolitiker av rang.

• konglund, Christian; Orning, Hans Jacob & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). En reise i år 1152. [Internet]. Historier som forandret verden - podcast 16 program. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I Historier Som Endret Verden tar vi et dypdykk ned i historiebøkene for å prøve å forstå hvordan verden ble slik den er i dag. Hver uke inviterer programleder Christian Konglund en ny ekspert som forteller om en mer eller mindre kjent historisk hendelse eller person som har fått store konsekvenser. Her kan alle fra historieentusiaster til de som skulket historietimene på skolen lære noe! Med oss for å snakke om Europa i middelalderen og reisen til munken Nikolas Bergsson har vi Svein Gullbekk, professor i numismatikk og historie ved Historisk museum og Universitetet i Oslo, og Hans Jacob Orning, professor i historie, også ved Universitetet i Oslo. De har skrevet boken "En reise til Roma - I sporene til pilegrimen Nikolas Bergsson året 1152".

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). Landsloven 750 år - Magnus Lagabøte som reformator av pengevesenet i Norge. Full text in Research Archive
• Fasting, Mathilde; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (2024). En reise til Roma (del 1-3). [Internet]. Liberal halvtime - en podcast fra Tankesmien Civita. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hva er det som gjør 1100-tallet til et av de mest spennende århundrene i Europas historie? Sykkelturen ble til boken «En reise til Roma«. I denne digitale samtalen får vi blant annet vite mer om forskjellene mellom 1100-tallspilgrimer og moderne pilgrimer, og hvilken betydning arven fra 1100-tallet har hatt for EU og europeisk fellesskap.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). Fra Magnus Lagabøte til Norges Bank: Lovgivning og pengepolitikk. Full text in Research Archive
• Orning, Hans Jacob & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2024). “En reise til Roma i fotsporene til pilegrimen Nikolas Bergsson året 1152”. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I 1152 la islendingen Nikolas Bergsson ut på en pilegrimsreise til Jerusalem. Vel tilbake fikk han nedtegnet en kort reisefører fra sin lange reise. Professorene Svein H. Gullbekk (KHM) og Hans Jacob Orning (UiO) har syklet i Nikolas’ fotspor til Roma og skrevet bok om hans og sin egen reise. I dette møtet vil de samtale og reflektere over noen av hovedtemaene i boka, og legger opp til en samtale seg imellom og med publikum, der middelalderen får spille ball med nåtiden. Hva vil det si å reise i middelalderen og i dag – har vi mer til felles med pilegrimen enn vi tror? Størstedelen av Nikolas’ reise gikk gjennom Det Tysk-Romerske keiserriket. Var Europa nærmere en union i 1152 enn i dag? Troen gjennomsyret Nikolas’ univers, men på hvilke måter? Og hva annet enn religion var han opptatt av? Som islending var Nikolas også en historiker som bar sin fortid med seg, og dette viser seg på uventede måter i hans veiviser.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Medieval Money and Digital Currencies. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Harald Sigurdsson / Harald Hardrade and his coinage revisited. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Magnus Lagabøtes myntreform: Fornyer av Norges valuta. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2023). Professor: – Lager vi DSP-penger vil det erstatte mye annet (Digitale sentralbankpenger). [Journal]. Finance Watch . Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Thomas, Mellbye & Sørlie, Guro Ørjasæter (2023). Utstilling DNB hovedkontor, Oslo Samling norske mynter 1814-1978 og klassiske sjeldenheter fra 1500- og1600-tallet. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 83–88. Full text in Research Archive
• Bill, Jan & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2022). Kontakt mellom Skandinavia og Kiev-riket i vikingtida. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Bogucki, Mateusz (2022). Iconography and legitimization of ideology on 11th century coinage” Elites: Poland-Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Søberg, Morten; Staavi, Tom & Eriksen, Mette Vågnes (2022). Arendalsuka: Snakk om å slå mynt og kron! Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hva burde diskuteres når vi snakker om bærekraftig teknologi, samfunnsutvikling og politikk på Arendalsuka i 2022? Hva er viktig når vi snakker om pengenes fremtid? Vil kontanter erstattes med tall på ymse skjermer, og vil kryptovaluta ta større plass som betalingsmiddel? Hvem bør ha rett til å slå mynt og kron?

• Lund, Ellen Cathrine; Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Orning, Hans Jacob (2022). Middelalderen og oss: Turister i middelalderen. [Radio]. NRK P2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  To professorer syklet i fotsporene til abbeden Nikolas som skrev en reisehåndbok. Hva oppdaget de om middelalderens turister og om hvorfor vi mennesker reiser?

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Pengene som forandret verden. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Murray Andrews, Coin Hoarding in Medieval England and Wales, c.973–1544. Behaviours, motivations, and mentalités. BAR British Series 651 (Oxford, 2019). British Numismatic Journal. ISSN 0143-8956. p. 248–249. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Penger - et paradigmeskifte til glede og besvær. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Yngvar Reichelt, Medaljen for Borgerdaad, Oslo: Athene forlag 2020. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 92–92. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Søberg, Morten (2021). Peter den store og Alexander Hamilton, om russiske rublar og amerikanske dollar. [Internet]. Svalbard money. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Fulltekst transscript i engelsk oversettelse foreligger: https://www.svalbard.money/podcast/transcript-gullbekk

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Hivju, Christopher; Trovik, Stian & Hivju, Gry Molvær (2021). Olav, dokumentarserie i tre deler om Olav Haraldsson (Hellig Olav): Vikingen – Kongen – Helgenen. [TV]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Dokumentarserien er laget av Ekkofilm for NRK. Selskapet som har hovedbase i Trondheim, Ekkofilm startet arbeidet med serien allerede i 2012, opptakene til serien startet i 2017 og var ferdige i løpet av våren 2020. Regi og manus er ved Stian Trovik og produsent er Fredrik Hygen Gudesen.

• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Sacrifice, values and monetary symbols. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2021). Opponentsinnlegg disputas, Thomas Guntzelnik Poulsen, Mønt og Magt – Danmarks monetarisering 1074-1241 . Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2020). Hva vi ikke vet - Norsk mynt- og pengehistorie. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2020). Menneskeofring - en fordømt kulturhistorie. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Roland, Håkon & Sættem, Anette (2019). Kan vi stole på resultatene fra metallsøkerfunn av middelaldermynt? Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Saltnes, Martin & Narendran, Arulanandan (2019). Harald Hardrådes penning En penning som representerer overgangen mellom vikingtid og middelalder, omkring år 1050. I slutten av 1040-årene etablerer kong Harald Hardråde et nasjonalt myntvesen som ble kimen til et norsk pengevesen. I løpet av noen år hadde han sørget for at hans egne mynter dominerte myntomløpet. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Mynten som etablerte Norges pengevesen I vår introduserer vi en enestående mynt på Historisk museum: En penning som representerer overgangen mellom vikingtid og middelalder, omkring år 1050. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). «Det umulige landet» er en storslått dokumentarserie som forteller historier om norsk samferdsel. Den viser hvordan vi har funnet veier til hverandre og hva dette har betydd for oss og for utviklingen av landet. Det å forflytte seg i Norge har vært og kan fortsatt være utfordrende. Vi har store avstander, spredt bosetting, høye fjell, en lang, krevende kyst og barskt klima. Programleder Steinar Birkeland har som en Espen Askeladd reist både til lands, til vanns og i luften med. Hans reise rundt. [TV]. NRK1. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Fra denar til daler: Danmarks mønthistorie indtil 1550. Nordisk Numismatisk Unions medlemsblad. ISSN 0025-8539. p. 89–90. Full text in Research Archive
• Fange, Per Øyvind & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Frykter at metallsøkere putter verdifulle norske mynter i lomma. [Internet]. NRK.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Amundsen, Bård; Gullbekk, Svein Harald; kvanli, john & Johansen, Erik Rønning (2019). Hvorfor finner metallsøkere så mye billig mynt og så få verdifulle mynter? [Journal]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Terningen er kastet! Kjell Hofstad og hans to beste mynter. In Andersen, Hanna (Eds.), Kjell Hofstad - Mennesket og samleren. Oslo numismatiske forening. ISSN 9788230341803. p. 56–58. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Legitimizing Coinage. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The social production of money involves negotiations of trust, acceptance and value, concepts that are closely related to questions about authority, culture and traditions. In this paper, I discuss the construction of trust, and legitimization of coinage and commodities as currency. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between religion and money using medieval Europe as laboratory: Was religious belief used for legitimizing trust in currencies? Medieval society was embedded in a Christian culture with perceptions of money that were paradoxical in their objectives and practice: On one side the Devil who used money as tools to turn souls away from God, on the other the Church producing and using money on grand scale. In reality, was the church legitimizing secular monetary regimes? How would secular authorities utilize Christian belief systems for producing trust in currency? Everywhere social production of money involved a variety of means and processes. Religious justification, doctrine and practice was central to the acceptance of particular forms of money, with parallels to modern societies.

• O'Neill, Sean & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Re-opening the case for human sacrifice: distinguishing myths from reality. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Vogt, Yngve (2019). Reformasjonen tok flere hundre år. [Journal]. Aftenposten historie. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Sættem, Anette (2019). Norske Myntfunn fra middelalderen er samlet i et nytt bokverk. Forfatterene forteller om penger, kommunikasjon og fromhetskutur i fra vikingetiden. [Radio]. NRK P2 Stanghelle på fredag. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Penger, kommunikasjon og fromhetskultur: Norske myntfunn 1050-1319. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald & Jacobsen, Erik (2019). Takmaleriet fra Ål stavkirke. [Radio]. NRK P2 Studio 2. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Randers, Jørgen & Bleken, Halfdan (2019). Refleks: Pengenes makt før og nå. [Radio]. NRK P2 EKKO. Full text in Research Archive
• Fjeld, Johannes & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2019). Snur på krona. [Journal]. Dagbladet. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). The Norse Penny - nye perspektiver. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Myntfunn og metallsøking: En viktig del av vår nasjonale kulturarv. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Lost Medieval Artifacts Mapped Inside Swedish Church. [Internet]. Archaeology: A publication of the Archaeological Institute . Full text in Research Archive
• Nuse, Ingrid P. & Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Thousands of medieval trinkets discovered underneath Scandinavian churches. [Internet]. Science Nordic. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Gold after the Gold Standard Era: How the decline of a coinage turned the Great Depression around – The Double Eagle 1933. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Penger med sjel: Ofringer fra St. Peters gravmæle i Roma til Lom stavkirke i Ottadalen. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Kriger, konflikter og myntstandard. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). How the decline of a coinage turned the Great Depression around – The Double Eagle 1933. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald (2018). Coin finds in medieval churches. Full text in Research Archive
• Gullbekk, Svein Harald; Risvaag, Jon Anders; Sættem, Anette; Ramberg, Linn Eikje & Roland, Håkon (2022). Survey of Numismatic Research 2014–2020: Norway General Editors: Michael Alram – Jarosław Bodzek – Aleksander Bursche. INTERNATIONAL NUMISMATIC COUNCIL. ISSN 9783952572108. Full text in Research Archive

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