Norway’s largest Viking hoard yields rare King Olaf coin not found in country since 1924

A rare coin minted during the reign of Norway’s King Olaf Haraldsson around 1025 has been discovered in a Viking hoard in Norway. The coin was found among thousands of objects recovered from the Morstad Hoard, discovered by two metal detectorists in April.

It is only the second coin of this type to have been found in Norway, with the previous discovery dating back to 1924.The coin was identified by archaeologist Anne Skogsfjord while she was examining and cataloguing the coins from the hoard, according to Jerusalem Post. The discovery was made after the object was initially placed in a group of coins believed to have been issued by an English king.

Its inscription helped establish that it was actually minted during Olaf Haraldsson's reign.Olaf Haraldsson, also known as Saint Olaf or Olaf the Holy, ruled Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was later given the title of “Eternal/Perpetual King of Norway” and was declared a saint in 1030, a year after his death.His reign was an important period in the spread of Christianity in Scandinavia.