Rare silver coins minted by Viking king Harald Bluetooth discovered in Finland

In May of 2022, Finnish metal detectorists discovered a silver cache from the Viking Age in a field in Mynämäki, a municipality of Finland located in the Southwest Finland region.

The follow-up excavations carried out by the Finnish Heritage Agency uncovered silver coins and pieces of silver jewelry. 

The hoard included 12 coins minted by Viking king Harald Bluetooth. They are considered very rare, as only a couple of such coins have previously been found in Finland. 

Furthermore, researchers were able to make a noteworthy discovery – the objects were brought to Mynämäki from Poland.

Metal detectorist discovers treasure, immediately calls National Museum Office

The batch of silver objects was found during a metal-detecting trip by enthusiasts of the Vakka-Suomen Metallinetsijät association. 

“My hands were shaking… This was my most spectacular find so far and the first intact cache I’ve found,” metal detectorist Oskari Heikkilä said.

After stumbling upon the find, Heikkilä stopped digging, left the rest of the objects in their place, and reported his findings to the National Heritage Agency.