Four Known: Rare Viking King Coin Identified in Norwegian Hoard
Archaeologists confirmed a coin minted by Olaf Haraldsson was buried in the Mørstad Hoard, a site that now holds the largest collection of Viking Age currency found in Norway.
By Nia Foster ·
A coin minted by Olaf Haraldsson, the first Norwegian king to be canonized as a saint, has been identified within the Mørstad Hoard. The Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo announced the discovery in October, confirming that the artifact dates from the reign of the monarch who ruled Norway from 1015 to 1028. The hoard, located in the village of Rena, is currently the largest collection of Viking Age coins ever uncovered in the country.
Archaeologist Anne Skogsfjord made the identification while cataloging the items recovered from the site. The hoard was originally discovered in April by metal detectorists Vegard Sørlie and Rune Sætre. Skogsfjord initially grouped the coin with Anglo-Saxon pennies issued by King Æthelred II. However, she noticed the inscription suggested a later date than those English pieces. Upon closer inspection, she read the text ONLAF R+ NORMANORV, which translates to Olaf, King of the Norwegians.
The physical design of the coin reflects specific historical influences. One side features a left-facing bust of Haraldsson wearing a conical battle helmet. The opposite side displays a cross on three steps, a motif inspired by Byzantine coinage. Numismatics Professor Svein Gullbekk suggested that Olaf Haraldsson may have decided the design and could have held this specific coin in his hand. Fewer than twenty coins from his reign have survived to the present day, and only four coins of this specific type have ever been located.
The previous find of this coin type in Norway occurred in 1924 during the restoration of church ruins at Stein. Gullbekk described the new discovery as a Christianization coin on a grand scale. He argued that the king used such currency to legitimize the new faith and establish his status as a European ruler. The coin is estimated to have been minted between 1024 and 1028, near the end of the Viking Age.
Physical wear on the coin indicates it was actively used in commerce. Small cuts on both sides, likely made with a knife, suggest the metal was tested for silver content during payments. Associate Professor Florent Audy explained that these marks imply the coin changed hands multiple times during the roughly two decades between its production and its burial. Hanna Geiran, Director General of Norway’s Cultural Heritage Directorate, praised the find as extraordinary evidence of the period when the foundations of the Norwegian kingdom were established.
The artifact will be displayed to the public at Norway’s Historical Museum. The coin is part of an exhibition on the Mørstad Hoard that opens on November 20, 2026.
