diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearLetterStrip.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearLetterStrip.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8409734c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearLetterStrip.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+import * as m from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
+import Sparkline from '$lib/shared/primitives/Sparkline.svelte';
+import LetterCard from './LetterCard.svelte';
+import { monthHistogram } from './timelineDensity';
+import type { components } from '$lib/generated/api';
+
+type TimelineEntryDTO = components['schemas']['TimelineEntryDTO'];
+
+/**
+ * Compact density view for a year with many letters (REQ-012): the letter count
+ * plus a 12-month density sparkline, and a ≥44px keyboard-focusable toggle that
+ * expands to that year's individual LetterCards.
+ */
+let { letters, year }: { letters: TimelineEntryDTO[]; year: number } = $props();
+
+let expanded = $state(false);
+
+const counts = $derived(monthHistogram(letters, year).map((b) => b.count));
+</script>
+
+<div class="mx-auto max-w-md rounded-sm border border-line bg-surface p-3 shadow-sm">
+	<div class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
+		<span class="font-sans text-sm font-bold text-brand-navy"
+			>{m.timeline_letters_count({ count: letters.length })}</span
+		>
+		<button
+			type="button"
+			data-testid="strip-expand"
+			aria-expanded={expanded}
+			onclick={() => (expanded = !expanded)}
+			style="display: inline-flex; align-items: center; min-height: 44px"
+			class="rounded-sm px-2 font-sans text-xs text-ink-3 hover:text-brand-navy focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-brand-navy"
+		>
+			{m.timeline_strip_expand()}
+		</button>
+	</div>
+
+	<Sparkline
+		values={counts}
+		label={m.timeline_letters_count({ count: letters.length })}
+		class="mt-2"
+	/>
+
+	{#if expanded}
+		<ul class="mt-3 space-y-2">
+			{#each letters as letter (letter.documentId)}
+				<li><LetterCard entry={letter} /></li>
+			{/each}
+		</ul>
+	{/if}
+</div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearLetterStrip.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearLetterStrip.svelte.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4c78ea0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/timeline/YearLetterStrip.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { cleanup, render } from 'vitest-browser-svelte';
+import { tick } from 'svelte';
+import YearLetterStrip from './YearLetterStrip.svelte';
+import { makeEntry } from './test-factories';
+
+afterEach(() => cleanup());
+
+function denseLetters(year: number, count: number) {
+	return Array.from({ length: count }, (_, i) =>
+		makeEntry({
+			eventDate: `${year}-${String((i % 12) + 1).padStart(2, '0')}-10`,
+			documentId: `doc-${i}`
+		})
+	);
+}
+
+describe('YearLetterStrip', () => {
+	it('shows the letter count and a 12-bar sparkline (REQ-012)', () => {
+		render(YearLetterStrip, { letters: denseLetters(1915, 30), year: 1915 });
+		expect(document.body.textContent).toContain('30');
+		const bars = document.querySelectorAll('[data-testid="sparkline-bar"]');
+		expect(bars).toHaveLength(12);
+	});
+
+	it('has a keyboard-focusable expand toggle of at least 44px (REQ-012)', () => {
+		render(YearLetterStrip, { letters: denseLetters(1915, 30), year: 1915 });
+		const toggle = document.querySelector('[data-testid="strip-expand"]') as HTMLButtonElement;
+		expect(toggle).not.toBeNull();
+		expect(toggle.tagName).toBe('BUTTON');
+		expect(toggle.getBoundingClientRect().height).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(44);
+	});
+
+	it('reveals all letter cards when expanded (REQ-012)', async () => {
+		render(YearLetterStrip, { letters: denseLetters(1915, 30), year: 1915 });
+		expect(document.querySelectorAll('a').length).toBe(0);
+		const toggle = document.querySelector('[data-testid="strip-expand"]') as HTMLButtonElement;
+		toggle.click();
+		await tick();
+		expect(document.querySelectorAll('a').length).toBe(30);
+	});
+});