Record trove of Viking Age coins found in Norway

Metal detectorists in Norway unearthed a trove of ancient coins dating back to the Viking Age — the largest of its kind ever found in the country.

“This is a historic find,” said Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norway’s climate and environment minister, in a statement that described its links to the Vikings as “even more spectacular” and added “the whole of Norway deserves to experience” it.

The coins were discovered in a field near the Norwegian village of Rena, according to Innlandet County municipal officials. Innlandet County includes a rural area where two private citizens located a smaller collection of 19 silver coins on April 10, triggering the wider archaeological probe that uncovered thousands more.

More than 3,150 coins had been recovered from the site when the county shared its latest update, which noted their search for additional treasure was still ongoing.

The hoard sheds new light on Norway’s economy during a turbulent period in the country’s history, remembered for political upheaval, power shifts, Viking expeditions and an influx of wealth from abroad, Innlandet officials said.

Experts at the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History examined the coins and said most of them originated in England and Germany, although some came from Denmark and Norway. They appeared to be minted during the reigns of Cnut the Great and Ethelred II, of England, Otto III, of Rome, and King Harald Hardrada, of Norway, the experts said. 

The coins were likely deposited at some point between the late 10th and early 11th centuries, when foreign currency dominated Norway before Hardrada’s ascension in 1046 C.E., said Svein Gullbekk, a professor at the university. 

May-Tove Smiseth, an archaeologist and adviser on the Innlandet County Council, said the treasure has drummed up excitement in the archaeological community.

“This is an extraordinary discovery of a kind one might experience only once in a career,” Smiseth said in a statement. “To be present when something like this comes to light is a truly remarkable experience, both professionally and personally.”