Historic Hoard: 1,000-Year-Old Viking Silver Coins Discovered on Isle of Man

Two British metal detectorists unearthed a rare hoard of Viking-era silver coins on the Isle of Man. The discovery sheds light on a vibrant Viking economy connected to England and Ireland. The find, featuring coins from the reign of Edward the Confessor and earlier rulers, is now classified as treasure.

Two British metal detectorists have unearthed a rare hoard of 1,000-year-old silver coins on the Isle of Man, shedding light on a vibrant Viking-era economy where traders and cash moved through England and Ireland.

Most of the 36 coins were minted during the reign of Edward the Confessor, one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings to rule England, whose childhood saw Viking raids and invasions. Two earlier rulers—Edward's father, Aethelred, and Viking king Cnut—are also represented in the coins.

John Crowe and David O'Hare found the coins in May while metal-detecting, with permission, on private land. They were later studied by U.S.-based researcher Kristin Bornholdt Collins, an expert on Viking Age coins from the Isle of Man. The island served as an ideal base between Ireland and Britain for the Vikings, who arrived from Scandinavia in the 800s, initially plundering and then eventually settling.

"This new hoard might be compared to a wallet containing all kinds of credit cards, notes, and coins of different nationalities, showing the variety of currencies available to an Irish Sea trader or inhabitants of Man in this period," Bornholdt Collins said. "Having closely dated comparative material from separate finds is highly unusual," she added.

Other Viking-era treasures have been discovered across Europe, including the Isle of Man. More Viking Age silver has been found per square kilometre in the Isle of Man than in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, said Alison Fox, curator for archaeology for Manx National Heritage.

Authorities in the Isle of Man, a self-governing territory under British sovereignty, officially declared the latest find as treasure on Monday. It will be displayed at the Manx Museum in Douglas until Oct. 13.

(With inputs from agencies.)