The oldest known examples of Höfðaletur are thought to be 16th century, and the font is considered to have been modeled on Gothic textura.
[1] The letters do not have a fixed form, but the verticals all have a "head" that is decorated with carving, usually simple and sloping but sometimes double.
[3] Older examples of Höfðaletur are carved on wood and are always deeply incised so that the letters are in relief.
According to Brynjúlfur Jónsson, Höfðaletur replaced the quite different Spónaletur ("spoon-letters") on spoons and other silver objects in the late nineteenth century.
[4] Some Icelandic font developers have experimented with Höfðaletur, including Gunnlaug Briem, Hörður Lárusson,[5] Sigurður Orri Þórhannesson and Sól Hrafnsdóttir.