A man digging for worms near his summer home near Stockholm came across the find of a lifetime: a hoard of silver coins – estimated to be up to 20,000 pieces, along with pearls, pendants and silver rings, reports Live science. The owner of the site immediately reported the find to the authorities, after which archaeologists arrived at the site.

According to the Stockholm County Administrative Council, the treasure dates back to the early Middle Ages and weighs about six kilograms. The treasures were in a copper cauldron, which had deteriorated significantly over time.

“This is probably one of the largest early medieval silver hoards found in Sweden. The exact number of coins is not yet known,” said Sofia Andersson, a monument conservation specialist at the department.

Preliminary analysis showed that most of the coins date back to the 12th century. Some bear the inscription KANUTUS – the Latin form of the name Knut, which indicates minting during the reign of the Swedish king Knut Eriksson, who reigned from approximately 1173 to 1195.

Unique find

Rare specimens were also found in the treasure, including several coins minted by powerful bishops. These coins depict a bishop with a special staff, a symbol of church authority. Among those found are a coin with the profile of King Knut Eriksson and a coin from the island of Gotland, which may depict a temple.

“This is completely unique: we have no other medieval treasures from Stockholm. The impressive size of the treasure makes the find particularly exciting,” said Lin Annerbeck, director of the Stockholm Medieval Museum.

Interestingly, Stockholm did not exist then: official founding date is 1252. The city became the largest in Sweden only at the end of the 13th century.

“We believe that many hid such property to preserve family wealth. The mixing of coins with pearls and jewelry suggests that this was a personal or family fortune hidden during troubled years,” Unnerbeck said.

Work on exploring the treasure continues. The country’s National Chamber for Heritage Protection will determine whether the state will buy the treasure and whether payment is due to the finder. According to the law on the cultural environment, anyone who finds ancient silver or treasure is obliged to offer its ransom to the state for a reward.

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