Hoard of 1,000-year-old Viking coins unearthed in Denmark: Artefacts believed to date back to 980s found by girl metal-detecting in cornfield last autumn

Guardian (UK) ^ | April 21, 2023 | Agence France-Presse

[SunkenCiv]

Nearly 300 silver coins believed to be more than 1,000 years old have been discovered near a Viking fortress site in north-west Denmark, a museum has said.

The trove – lying in two spots not far apart – was unearthed by a girl who was metal-detecting in a cornfield last autumn.

"A hoard like this is very rare," Lars Christian Norbach, the director of the North Jutland Museum, where the artefacts will go on display, told Agence France-Presse.

The silver coins were found about 5 miles (8km) from the Fyrkat Viking ringfort, near the town of Hobro. From their inscriptions, they are believed to date back to the 980s.

The trove includes Danish, Arab and Germanic coins as well as pieces of jewellery originating from Scotland or Ireland, according to archaeologists. Norbach said the finds were from the same period as the fort, built by King Harald Bluetooth, and would offer a greater insight into the history of the Vikings.

There could be a link between the treasure – which the Vikings would bury during wars – and the fort, which burned down during the same period, he said.

Archaeologists have said they will continue digging next autumn after the harvest. They hope to find the burial sites and homes of the troves’ one-time owners.

The Vikings believed that burying their treasure allowed them to find it again after death.

The artefacts will go on public display from July at the Aalborg Historical Museum. The girl who made the discovery will receive financial compensation, the amount of which has not been made public.

[SunkenCiv]

Selections from the Coins keyword, sorted:

• 2,000-year-old hoard of Roman coins may have been hidden by a soldier during a bloody civil war in Italy [04/21/2023]
• Ancient necropolis from 2,000 years ago unearthed next to Paris train station [04/20/2023]
• Roman Coins Found on Island in Baltic Sea [04/17/2023]
• Dutch 27-year-old with metal detector finds 1,000-year-old medieval treasure [03/15/2023]
• 3,600-year-old hoards may contain the earliest silver currency in Israel and Gaza [01/30/2023]
• Rare Half-Shekel Coin from the Great Revolt Found in Jerusalem's Ophel Excavations [12/15/2022]
• 1,600-year-old rare gold coin found by school pupils alongside the Sanhedrin Trail in the Galilee [12/10/2022]
• Gold coin proves 'fake' Roman emperor was real [11/27/2022]
• Gold coins worth €1.6m stolen in nine-minute heist from German museum [11/23/2022]
• The Mystery Of Carthaginians In The Americas [11/15/2022]
• Ancient Rome: Stunningly preserved bronze statues found in Italy [11/09/2022]
• Vast tunnel found beneath ancient Egyptian temple [aqueduct] [11/08/2022]
• These Gold Coins Were Stashed in a Stone Wall Nearly 1,400 Years Ago [10/23/2022]
• Couple Finds Rare Coins Worth Over $800,000 While Renovating Their Kitchen Floors [10/18/2022]
• Exhibition: Roman Coins in India [2011] [10/13/2022]
• Hoard of 161 Roman coins found beneath campsite in Wiltshire [10/13/2022]
• 4th Century BC Greek Silver Coin Found in Archaeological site on Papuk [09/27/2022]
• Looted coin worth $1m returned to Israel after years-long hunt [09/13/2022]
• Gold coin hoard in a cup found under kitchen floor [09/06/2022]
• Old coins worth nearly $300,000 found under floorboards [Jolly Old England] [09/04/2022]
• Archaeologists recover ancient 'fertility statuettes' from famed Tuscan hot springs [08/12/2022]
• Roman Coin Depicting Zodiac Symbol Discovered off Israel's Coast: The rare bronze coin was minted during the reign of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius [08/01/2022]
• Ancient hoard of gold Roman coins discovered in plowed UK field [07/13/2022]
• Rare gold coin found in Hungary shows assassinated Roman emperor [06/21/2022]
• Silver coin featuring famous Viking king unearthed in Hungary [06/21/2022]
• First Roman military amphitheater in Southern Levant revealed at excavations near Megiddo [06/06/2022]
• Someone put a Hole in this Coin - now it's worth Millions (the EID MAR aureus) [06/02/2022]
• Amateur Archaeologist Stumbles Onto Trove of Coins Dated to Constantine the Great's Reign [05/06/2022]
• Analysis of Roman coins uncovers evidence of financial crisis [04/09/2022]
• Officials Recover Thousands of Cultural Goods in Crackdown, Including Roman Gold Coins [04/06/2022]
• Roman 'hole in the wall': World's oldest cash machine found in UK [04/05/2022]
• 2,000-year-old Celtic hoard of gold 'rainbow cups' discovered in Germany [02/11/2022]
• Massive hoard of Roman-era silver coins unearthed in Germany [11/19/2021]
• Medieval Russians hid silver hoard before Mongol invasion: They weren't hiding it from the Mongols, but an earlier, unknown enemy [09/09/2021]
• Medieval Archaeological Finds Unearthed in Tel Aviv Suburb [08/18/2021]
• Book Review: Federico De Romanis and Marco Maiuro, eds., Across the Ocean: Nine Essays on Indo-Mediterranean Trade [08/14/2021]
• London Rainstorm Reveals Trove of 300 Iron Age Coins [07/15/2021]
• The Brescello Hoard -- the largest and most valuable hoard of Roman coins ever found [06/09/2021]
• Arabian coins found in US may unlock 17th-century pirate mystery [04/04/2021]
• Israeli youths unearth 1,100-year-old gold coins from Abbasid era [08/25/2020]
• Metal Detectorist Finds Haul Of 1,000 Coins Worth At Least £100,000 [08/06/2020]
• Detectorist finds Roman lead pig ingot in Wales [06/28/2020]
• Coins suggest Islam began MUCH later - a Synopsis [01/23/2020]
• Metal-detecting couple find one of Britain's biggest ever treasure hoards [tr] [08/26/2019]
• Traces of Roman-era pollution stored in the ice of Mont Blanc [05/14/2019]
• Anchor from 'most valuable shipwreck in history' found [03/05/2019]
• An anchor thought to be from a shipwreck carrying a billion pounds of treasure has been found... [03/05/2019]
• France seizes Corsica's Lava Treasure coins [01/20/2019]
• Cache of gold coins and 900-year-old gold earring found in Caesarea [12/10/2018]
• Archaeologists found treasure of silver Celtic coins [12/10/2018]
• Ancient Egyptian visitors to Australia or miner's mishap? Riddle of the rainforest coin [09/13/2018]
• Roman gold coins discovered in Italian theatre [09/12/2018]
• In mint condition! Millions of pounds-worth of pristine 5th-century gold coins are found buried [tr] [09/10/2018]
• 13-Year-Old Boy Finds Treasure Trove of 1,000-Year-Old Silver Coins [04/16/2018]
• Coins from destruction of Second Temple found in time for Passover [04/03/2018]
• Medieval 'pot o' gold' discovered by construction workers [03/16/2018]
• [E]xplorers searching for the famed steamship Pulaski... find a wreck filled with silver coins [01/27/2018]
• 'Exceptional' medieval treasure trove unearthed at abbey in France [11/18/2017]
• medieval treasure trove of 2,200 pieces of silver, 21 Islamic gold coins and a stunning signet ring [11/16/2017]
• 8-year old Israeli girl finds 2000 year old half-shekel [08/27/2017]
• $1 Million in Gold Coins From 1715 Shipwreck on the Market [11/07/2016]
• Roman coins ID'd in Japanese ruins, but their origin baffles [10/18/2016]
• Roman coins discovered in ruins of Japanese castle [09/28/2016]
• Ancient Roman coins unearthed at Japan castle [09/28/2016]
• Roman Silver Hoard Discovered in Scotland [06/18/2016]
• Archaeologists Find Ancient Collector's Hoard of Hasmonean Coins [06/14/2016]
• Construction workers unearth over half a tonne of Roman coins in Spain [04/29/2016]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Julius Caesar and Leap Days [02/28/2016]
• Fort Pierce salvor declared owner of sunken treasure recovered off Panama [02/15/2016]
• 700-year-old Danish 'Civil War' coins uncovered [02/13/2016]
• Viking hoard discovery reveals little-known king 'airbrushed from history' [12/12/2015]
• 4,000 coins found in Roman treasure trove in Swiss orchard [11/19/2015]
• Archaeologists Find Building's Portico, Governor's Residence Hypocaust in Ancient Roman [Bulgaria] [10/31/2015]
• Bulgarian archaeologists find nearly 3000 coins in clay pot at Sofia dig [09/09/2015]
• Coins worth $4.5m recovered from shipwreck [08/22/2015]
• Florida family unearths gold coins worth over $1M from 1715 shipwreck [07/28/2015]
• Alexander the Great-Era Treasure Found in Israeli Cave [03/10/2015]
• Found Islamic Coins Hidden Inside Viking Age Shield Boss [02/28/2015]
• Israel unveils its largest find of medieval gold coins [02/22/2015]
• Found! Largest Ever Cache of Gold Coins Discovered in Israel [02/21/2015]
• Israel Discovers Huge Hoard of Ancient Gold Coins in Deep Sea Trove [02/20/2015]
• Largest trove of gold coins in Israel unearthed from ancient harbor [02/17/2015]
• Antiquities thief busted with over 800 ancient coins [01/03/2015]
• Ancient coins worth more than £1 million found buried in lead bucket in farmer's field [01/02/2015]
• Researchers Find Rare Coin, Other Artifacts at Bethsaida Dig Site [07/22/2014]
• Dovedale Roman and Iron Age coins found after 2,000 years [07/08/2014]
• Mould for minting Roman coins found in Talkad [India] [05/30/2014]
• Amateur archaeologists unearth Viking gold [05/05/2014]
• A Roman hoard from the end of empire [05/01/2014]
• $10 Million Gold Coin Find May Have Been Stolen from San Francisco Mint [03/04/2014]
• $10M Gold Coin Hoard Found in Yard May Have Been Stolen From Mint [03/04/2014]
• Couple That Found $10 Million in Gold Coins Will Have to Hand Over HOW MUCH in Taxes? [03/01/2014]
• Researchers Find Rare Coin, Other Artifacts at Bethsaida Dig Site [07/22/2014]
• Dovedale Roman and Iron Age coins found after 2,000 years [07/08/2014]
• Mould for minting Roman coins found in Talkad [India] [05/30/2014]
• Amateur archaeologists unearth Viking gold [05/05/2014]
• A Roman hoard from the end of empire [05/01/2014]
• African Coins Found In Australia: 1,000-Year-Old Discovery May Rewrite Country's History [05/22/2013]
• 1000-year-old coins found in Northern Territory may rewrite Australian history [05/20/2013]
• Ancient Chinese coin found on Kenyan island by Field Museum expedition [03/14/2013]
• Emperor Caligula Gold Coin Found Underwater Near Cyprus [08/27/2012]
• Gold coins from the Crusades found in Israel [07/17/2012]
• Extremely Rare Coin Up For Auction (maybe) [05/15/2012]
• 3,000 Roman 3rd Century coins found in Montgomery field [07/28/2011]
• (January 14, 2011) 2,100 year-old Greek coin may have marked rare astronomical event [01/17/2011]
• Canadian scientists using ancient coins to map trading routes [12/09/2010]
• Could a rusty coin re-write Chinese-African history? [10/18/2010]
• A Medieval Coin in New England Soil [09/12/2010]
• WTC Ship Gives Up Lucky Coin [09/10/2010]
• Israel Finds Rare 2,200-Year-Old Gold Coin [08/11/2010]
• $1 Coin, Now Worth $1.2 Million, Was Hoarded in 1794 [08/11/2010]
• Ancient gold coins unearthed[India] [07/25/2010]
• Huge Roman coin find for hobbyist [07/08/2010]
• Rare coin bears good tidings for UNOs Israeli excavations [07/05/2010]
• Silver coin dating to 211 BC is oldest piece of Roman money ever found in Britain [02/02/2010]
• Palestinians find ancient coin hoard in Gaza [01/14/2010]
• Israel displays coins from ancient Jewish revolt [11/11/2009]
• Coins from Era of Biblical Joseph [sic] Found in Egypt [09/26/2009]
• Buried treasure found in Cordoba[Spain] [09/23/2009]
• Recent discovery of a Roman Coin Hoard in the Shrewsbury Area[UK][10K Coins] [09/10/2009]
• Ancient coin has ironic currency[Massachusetts] [06/03/2009]
• Prehistoric gold coins found in Suffolk[UK] [01/18/2009]
• Huge Iron Age haul of coins found [01/18/2009]
• Major Roman coins find at Petworth[UK] [12/23/2008]
• Jerusalem dig finds big gold hoard from 7th century [12/22/2008]
• Ancient Celtic coin cache found in Netherlands [11/13/2008]
• 700-year-old coins found in field[UK] [11/10/2008]
• Treasure hunters set to coin it with Roman haul[UK] [10/29/2008]
• Former PM's face seen in 2,000-year-old coin[UK][Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher] [10/02/2008]
• Coin found by Wrexham pensioner is 2,000 years old[UK] [09/16/2008]
• Shipwreck's Coins Are Very Rare [05/14/2008]
• Swedes Find Viking-Era Arab Coins [04/04/2008]
• Gold Coins Of Rebel British Emperor Uncovered [03/25/2008]
• Wari-Bateshwar One Of Earliest Kingdoms [03/19/2008]
• Priceless Gold Coins Found[UK][Roman] [03/16/2008]
• Find may shed light on Roman era [Calstock, Cornwall, UK] [01/30/2008]
• Rain Uncovers Viking Treasure Trove [09/15/2007]
• 1.5 Tons Of Ancient Coins Discovered In North China [08/30/2007]
• Coin Discovery Thrills Archaeologists (Norway) [07/13/2007]
• Ancient Gold Coins Found In Kyrgyz Mountain Lake [08/30/2006]
• Ancient Coins Found At Construction Site in Shaanxi (China) [04/11/2006]
• Anglo-Saxon Gold Coin Leaves British Museum Out Of Pocket [02/09/2006]
• Artifacts with links to Bible unearthed [01/02/2006]
• Ancient Coins Found In Iceland [11/25/2005]
• Huge Hoard Of Iron Age Coins Found [11/04/2005]
• Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Coins In The Heart Of Athens [08/13/2005]
• Archaeologists Find Hoard Of Celtic Coins [06/04/2005]
• Rare Nickel Sells for More Than $4 Million to New Jersey Company [06/02/2005]
• Lost Roman Emperor Gets Centre Stage at Ashmolean Museum [03/31/2005]
• Centuries' Old UFO Coin Remains Mystery [01/29/2005]
• Coin Discovery Sparks Treasure Hunt In Norway (Roman & Chinese Coins) [08/02/2004]
• Rare coin find stuns historians [07/19/2004]
• Keeping Up With The Empire (Romans In Netherlands) [05/25/2004]
• Roman treasure found in pond dig: A man unearthed a priceless hoard of 20,000 Roman coins... [03/11/2004]
• UK: While digging in backyard man unearths hoard of 20,000 Roman coins. [03/11/2004]
• Ancient Treasures From Golden Age Of Mystery (Celtic Coins) [12/20/2003]
• Finding of wreck off Georgia could lead to $180m in gold [08/17/2003]
• World's richest treasure ship, with a cargo worth £100m, found in Atlantic [08/17/2003]
• Shipwreck Discovery May Yield Rich Cargo [08/16/2003]
• Stellar cellar discovery [01/23/2003]
• Persian Coins From Sassanid Era (224-640AD) Discovered In Sweden [09/08/2002]

[crusty old prospector]

Does she get to keep them?

[Alas Babylon!]

The girl who made the discovery will receive financial compensation, the amount of which has not been made public.

Tree fiddy?

Seriously, government taking what amounts to a treasure hunter's treasure should richly reward the hunter! I mean, it's not like these lazy sods were out looking for it, or even knew it was there. Without this girl, it would still be in the ground, likely never to be found.

[SunkenCiv]

The other GGG topics added since the previous digest ping, chrono sort:

• APUSH Textbooks Are Covering The Trump Presidency; The Bias Is Worse Than You Think [04/23/2023]
• Armenian Genocide: The Mass Murder of Christians in Turkey [04/24/2023]
• Chicken breeding in Japan dates back to fourth century BCE [04/26/2023]
• from the FRchives: Chocolate, Chocolate, It's Good For Your Heart, Study Finds [06/22/2015]
• Colorado rescue discovers rare male calico 'unicorn' kitten [04/27/2023]
• Currency and the Collapse of the Roman Empire [04/28/2023]
• A Cypress in Chile Could Soon Break The Record For World's Oldest Tree [04/27/2023]
• DNA study opens a window into African civilisations that left a lasting legacy [04/23/2023]
• Early Romans may have been the first to breed flat-faced dogs [04/26/2023]
• Everybody comes home ... even from 200 feet underwater [04/23/2023]
• 'Fingerprints' confirm the seafaring stories of adventurous Polynesian navigators [04/24/2023]
• Florida coastal erosion exposes shipwreck off Daytona Beach: report [04/25/2023]
• '[redacted] Imperialism': Activists Bum Rush Stage, Harass Archaeologist For Excavating Ancient Site [04/24/2023]
• Largest rat king: How 32 rats accidentally tied themselves together [04/24/2023]
• More than 100 pre-Hispanic religious sites linked to ancient Andean cults discovered in Bolivia [04/29/2023]
• from the FRchives: ...Mysterious ancient human society was run by a 'female elite' and lived in sprawling stone... [02/22/2017]
• New discovery of a Viking ship in Norway [04/26/2023]
• Peruvian archaeologists unearth 500-year-old Inca ceremonial bath: Ancient ceremonial Inca bathroom discovered, in Huanuco [04/26/2023]
• Remains of Roman Fortlet Discovered Next to Antonine Wall [04/23/2023]
• Researchers describe sea-level rise in southwest Greenland as a contributor to Viking abandonment [04/23/2023]
• Roman temple found in France may have been dedicated to war god Mars [04/26/2023]
• Rome Spectacularly Celebrates its 2,776th Birthday [04/24/2023]
• A Scholar Has Uncovered a Hidden Translation of the Gospels by Shining UV Light on an Ancient Biblical Text [04/28/2023]
  • Fragment of a 1,750-year-old New Testament translation discovered [04/10/2023]
  • UV Light Reveals Hidden Fragment Of 1,750-Year-Old New Testament Translation [04/12/2023]
  • Researchers Discover 1,750-Year-Old Syriac Translation of Gospel of Matthew in Palimpsest Manuscript Using UV Photography [04/20/2023]
• Scientists May Have Solved a Chaco Canyon Mystery by Hauling Logs With Their Heads [04/24/2023]
• from the FRchives: 2015: Khaled al-Asaad, Palmyra archaeologist [08/18/2022]
• Underwater Survey Reveals New Discoveries in Sunken Town of Baia [04/24/2023]
• from the FRchives: Vanished, Under Force of Time and an Inconstant Earth [09/06/2005]
• World's 'Oldest' Tree Able to Reveal Planet's Secrets [04/24/2023]

[aynrandfreak]

Danes!

[ComputerGuy]

I did my part back in my detectorist days. I cleared entire acreages of pull-tabs and bottle caps.

[telescope115]

They should let her keep at least one, anyway, on top of whatever compensation they give her.
I wonder if Gary Drayton could use a little help on Oak Island…

[Carriage Hill]

The gov’t gets them; she is ‘compensated’ with an order of Fish ‘N Chips, and a pint of ale. Heh.

[rolling_stone]

Seriously, government taking what amounts to a treasure hunter's treasure should richly reward the hunter! I mean, it's not like these lazy sods were out looking for it, or even knew it was there. Without this girl, it would still be in the ground, likely never to be found....

Exactly !
of course socialist countries might think differently

[Captain Walker]

Unmentioned was the thousand-year-old parking meter they were found in.

[BenLurkin]

They make it sound like the 1980s were a long time ago. Seems like just yesterday to me.

[Hot Tabasco]

If I had found them, I would have kept quiet and found a way to secretly sell them off. Either all at once or a little at a time.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

It always astonishes me that such hordes can lie undiscovered in farm fields. How could it not be hit by a plow in 1,000 years? How could it not be pushed to the surface by the action of the earth in such a long time?

Frost heave pushes rocks and boulders to the surface of farm fields every year and farmers have to clear them. We’ve got some farm fields near us with astonishing windrows of boulders that must be 6 feet high and 10 feet wide at the base. Of course, this is glacial moraine area, so there are LOTS of rocks. But the action is the same.

[SunkenCiv]

Moe Howard had the right idea. ;^)

[Sarcazmo]

Yep. Hopefully she kept some in reserve.

Note that the compensation was not made public. Because if it was, no one would ever notify the government when they found something like that.

So you’re probably right about the fish and chips.

[exPBRrat]

Bless her for reporting this find.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Were they tranny Viking coins? Denmark seems a mecca for mutants.

[Larry Lucido]

Ah, yes. Big hair and mullets.

[Jonty30]

I think Europe tends to split their findings by 50% or so.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

So, 500 years ago, someone found this stash, shoveled and SHUT UP, re-buried the stash, and another 500 years later this girl finds it, doesn’t SHUT UP and loses her treasure to Mother Government.

Seems fair. NOT!

If anyone on this Ping List has neglected to watch the series, ‘The Detectorists’ put it on your Bucket List. Totally entertaining!