1,000-year-old Viking coins in Denmark

A young girl in Denmark made an astounding discovery with a metal detector last fall when she found nearly 300 silver coins that date back to the 980s, making them over 1000 years old.

Two distinct sets of coins, comprising Arabic, Danish, and Germanic currency, were unearthed in a cornfield about eight kilometers from the Fyrkat Viking fortress, located near the small town of Hobro in northern Denmark.

The Historical Museum of North Jutland was the recipient of the coins. As per the museum's website, the collection comprises 300 coins of various sizes, with many of them being fragmented, while about 50 of them are in good condition. The coins were scattered across the field due to years of agricultural plowing.

The collection includes two intricately carved pieces of silver, which the museum suspects to be from the same piece of jewelry. The origin of these pieces is thought to be Scotland or Ireland.

"The discovery of the two silver treasures is an intriguing tale on its own," stated Torben Trier Christiansen, the inspector at North Jutland Museums. "However, the fact that they were discovered abandoned in a settlement just eight kilometers from Harald Bluetooth's Viking fortress, Fyrkat, adds an extra layer of excitement to the find."

As per the museum's website, it is likely that the coins were buried during the same period when the settlements were abandoned. This practice was commonplace among the Vikings who would conceal their prized possessions underground during times of war or turmoil.