Viking Coin Hoard Find Includes a Fistful of Kings

A stunning hoard of Viking silver coins that are over 1,000-years-old has been discovered on the Isle of Man, deepening the island’s rich Viking legacy. Unearthed in May 2024 by metal detectorists John Crowe and David O’Hare, the hoard consists of 36 silver coins, including whole coins and fragments, and was recently declared Treasure by Isle of Man Deputy Coroner of Inquests, Rebecca Cubbon.

The coins, dating from AD 1000 to 1065, provide a telling glimpse into the Viking Age economy in the Isle of Man. Allison Fox, Curator for Archaeology at Manx National Heritage, highlighted the find’s significance, noting the island’s unique position in the Viking world, where more Viking silver has been found per square kilometer than in other parts of the British Isles.

The coins are stamped with the heads of various kings dating between 1000 and 1065. (Manx National Heritage)

Vikings settled on the Isle of Man in the 800s AD and established a trade network with mainland Britain. Several Viking Age burials have been excavated on the Island, buried according to pagan traditions, and within these graves many rare Viking Age artifacts have been found, all of which can be seen in the Manx Museum, Douglas, on the Isle of Man.

Recent other finds include an impressive and very old hoard of silver Viking era coins, found by an ex-police officer while searching a farmer’s field with her metal detector in April 2021. This detectorist has also found a tidy little hoard of a gold arm-ring, a silver armband and a massive silver brooch at the end of 2020.

Closeup of one of the 36 coins found in the hoard. (Manx National Heritage)

A Collection of Kings Coinage

Examined by Viking coin expert Dr. Kristin Bornholdt Collins, the hoard features English coins minted during the reigns of Edward the Confessor, Aethelred II, and Canute, alongside Irish coins from Dublin bearing the image of Norse King Sihtric Silkbeard.

The variety of mints, including York, London, and Dublin, reveals the island’s role as a vital hub for Viking-era trade between England and Ireland.

The discovery offers valuable insight into the Isle of Man’s dynamic role in Viking economic networks. Dr. Bornholdt Collins suggests the hoard may have been assembled over several decades, reflecting the rich, interconnected maritime economy that flowed through the Irish Sea during the Viking Age.

The coins will be on display at the Manx Museum from October 2 to 13, 2024.

Top image: Left; Finders David O’Hare (left) and John Crowe (right), pictured with Allison Fox, Manx National Heritage Curator for Archaeology. Right; Various coins from the hoard.               Source: Manx National Heritage

By Gary Manners