Legendary Warriors - Niue - 1oz. - Eric Bloodaxe - (BU)

Being the oldest and most favored son of King Harald Fairhair didn’t stop Eric from going to great lengths to further guarantee his inheritance. Born in 885, Eric began his violent career raiding and pillaging along the Baltic coasts when he was just 12 years old. His experience in battle served him well because, after all, you don’t rise to the top of the heap without cracking a few skulls! Eric began his rule in 932 upon the death of his father. But he made one mistake: he hadn’t killed ALL of his brothers. Soon, his harsh and unpopular reign was brought to an end by his last surviving brother, Haakon the Good, who deposed him 934. Eric wasn’t finished just yet, however. Exiled to the British Isles, he went on to rule as the King of Northumbria from 947–948 and again from 952 until his assassination in 954 by agents of the King of Wessex. Eric’s death brought an end to the 350-year-old Kingdom of Northumbria and set the House of Wessex on the road to unifying all of England under Alfred the Great and his descendants.