Medieval coin hoard found in Jutland field

Amateur archaeologists have made a sensational find of Viking Age silver coins in a field in Errested near Haderslev in south Jutland.

The silver coins date back to the Viking Age
[Credit: Ark�ologi Haderslev]

So far, a total of 165 coins, dating back to the beginning of the 11th century, have been found, but they have not yet excavated the source of the treasure: a vase filed with coins, according to Anders Hartvig, a spokesperson for Ark�ologi Haderslev.

�It�s quite sensational. It�s the first time in south Jutland that we have found such a huge find from the beginning of the 1000s,� Hartvig told Ekstra Bladet tabloid.

�There are English, Danish and German coins and the faces on some of them are still very visible. For instance, Knud den Store [Cnut the Great], the king who ruled Denmark and England, minted some of the coins.�

Waiting for the crops

According to Hartvig, the treasure also includes a golden pearl that was probably part of a pearl necklace.

The treasure was actually discovered in the field last year, but the archaeologists had to wait until the field was harvested before making a more extensive dig.

Source: Copenhagen Post [August 24, 2015]