Metal Detectorists Unearth Norway's Largest Viking Coin Hoard
Two metal detector enthusiasts, Rune Sætre and Vegard Sørlie, stumbled upon Norway's largest Viking Age coin stash, consisting of 3,250 silver coins, in a field located in Østerdalen, east-central Norway. Their discovery started on April 10 with just 19 coins, but after local archaeologists from Innlandet county got involved, the total quickly rose to over 2,000, breaking the previous record of more than 1,800 coins found in the mid-1800s on the southwestern coast. Dating back to the 980s through the 1040s, many coins were foreign, including those from Æthelred the Unready and King Cnut. This remarkable find is now at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo for further study, with archaeologist Svein Gullbekk calling it an incredible discovery.
Key facts
- Discovered by Rune Sætre and Vegard Sørlie on April 10
- Total of 3,250 silver coins found
- Previous record was over 1,800 coins from mid-1800s
- Coins date from 980s to 1040s
- Includes coins of Æthelred the Unready, King Cnut, Otto III, and Harald Hardråde
- Hoard transferred to Museum of Cultural History in Oslo
- Region had iron production industry from 900s to late 1200s
- Coins preserved by annual flooding of Glomma River
Entities
Institutions
- Innlandet County Council
- Museum of Cultural History
- University of Oslo
- Artnet News
Locations
- Norway
- Østerdalen
- Oslo
- Trondheim
- Byzantium