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Found near the Utstein Monastery in southwestern Norway, the piece was located by a detectorist in April 2025, remained mixed with buttons and metal scrap for months, and was later identified as a rare medieval coin from the reign of Magnus Barefoot, with about 90% silver.
A rare silver coin, found in a field in Norway, almost went unnoticed as a button. The object, located near the Utstein Monastery, was eventually identified as a medieval piece linked to the reign of Magnus Barefoot, associated with the end of the Viking Era.
Find appeared to be metal scrap
According to livescience, the discovery was made in April 2025 by detectorist Morten Eek. The artifact was in the arable layer of the soil, 10 to 15 centimeters deep, in an area near the monastery.
At first glance, the object did not look like a coin. One side had a silvery shine, but the other was covered with copper and had a dark stain in the center. The appearance resembled a button.
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Therefore, Eek took the piece home and placed it with other items collected during searches, such as buttons, worn modern coins, and metal fragments.
Months later, when showing the material to other detectorists, doubt arose. The silvery side resembled a medieval coin illustrated in the 1865 reference work “Coins of Norway from the Middle Ages” by C.I. Schive.
The group contacted the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger. The researchers’ analysis changed the significance of the find.
Silver coin was transformed into jewelry
The object dated from the reign of Magnus Barefoot, also called Magnus Berrføtt, who ruled Norway between 1093 and 1103. The piece is described as the first of its kind discovered on Norwegian soil.
The unusual appearance had an explanation. Someone had altered the coin after minting. A copper plate was placed over one side, while the outer edge was folded around this covering.
Two rounded notches on the edge indicate that a chain or ring may have been attached there. This suggests that the coin gained a second life, possibly as jewelry.
The researchers could remove the copper plate to check the hidden side, but this would risk the fragility of the artifact. The solution was to examine the piece by X-ray.
Images revealed griffin and cross
The tomography showed that the covered side featured the figure of a griffin, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and characteristics of a bird of prey. The motif can also be associated with the lion of Saint Mark.
The museum noted, however, that the animal represented on these coins closely resembles a griffin. In medieval Christian art, griffins symbolized the dual nature of Christ, human and divine.
On the visible side, the piece displayed the motif known as “cross over cross.” It appears with arms formed by double lines and small semicircular shapes at the ends.
The combination of griffin and cross makes the coin rare. Double-sided coins with these two motifs are known in only four specimens.
One of them came from the Sandur treasure, found in the Faroe Islands in 1863. Three others appeared in the Mørstad treasure, in Denmark, discovered last spring and consisting of almost 5,000 coins.
Find helps to understand Magnus Barefoot
In total, about 100 coins, distributed across 12 discoveries, are known from the reign of Magnus Barefoot. Each specimen helps to understand how the coins were produced and circulated in Norway at the end of the Viking Age and the beginning of the Middle Ages.
Magnus Barefoot ascended to the throne in 1093, after the death of his father, Olav Kyrre, also called Olaf III of Norway. While his father’s reign was associated with a peaceful period, Magnus took a different path.
The king built his reputation through war, much like his grandfather, Harald Hardrada, who died at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. Magnus spent much of his reign on campaigns abroad.
His actions sought to expand Norwegian power through the western maritime routes, including the Isle of Man and parts of the Irish Sea. He died around the age of 30, in 1103, during a campaign in Ireland.
The coin points to internal reform. Previous rulers had reduced the silver content of Norwegian coins. Magnus restored a high standard, with pieces containing about 90% silver.
It is not possible to know if the coin was lost near the Utstein Monastery during Magnus’s lifetime. As it was adapted into jewelry, it may have circulated for years after ceasing to function as money.
