Two rare English coins created in the hope of protecting the kingdom from Viking attacks have been discovered in Denmark. Instead of stopping the raids, however, the medieval coins appear to have become prized pieces of jewellery worn by Vikings.
The coins were found by metal detectorists at separate locations in northern and southern Jutland. Known as “Lamb of God” coins, they were minted during the reign of the English king Æthelred the Unready at a time when England faced repeated attacks by Viking armies.
“It gave me goose bumps, because these coins are extremely rare, and they convey a special and also paradoxical part of history. They were made to obtain protection against the Vikings, but ended up instead as jewellery or amulets worn by Vikings. That is almost tragicomical,” says Gitte Tarnow Ingvardson, curator at the National Museum of Denmark.
A spiritual response to Viking attacks
Photo of one of the coins, found in Northern Jutland. Photo: Søren Greve, the National Museum of Denmark.
In 1009, Æthelred attempted to mobilise both the English kingdom and the Church against the Viking threat. Alongside more conventional defensive efforts, the king ordered widespread fasting and penance in the hope of securing divine assistance.
The unusual coins appear to have formed part of this religious response. Unlike most contemporary English coins, which usually displayed the king on one side and a cross on the other, these examples carried entirely Christian imagery.
On the obverse is a lamb pierced by a cross, representing Christ’s sacrifice. The lamb stands on a plaque bearing the Greek letters alpha and omega, symbols of God as the beginning and end of all things. The reverse depicts a dove ascending towards heaven, symbolising the Holy Spirit.
The reverse side of the coin found in Northern Jutland. Photo: Søren Greve, the National Museum of Denmark.
The coins did not achieve their intended purpose. Viking attacks continued, while examples of the unusual currency travelled into Scandinavia and the Baltic region.
Only around 30 “Lamb of God” coins are known to have been found worldwide. Just four or five have been discovered in England, while most of the others have appeared in Scandinavian and Baltic countries.
Many of these coins were fitted with loops, indicating that they were no longer being used simply as currency. Instead, Vikings may have worn them around their necks as jewellery or amulets. The distinctive Christian designs could have made the coins especially attractive, regardless of whether their new owners understood or shared the intentions behind their creation.
The recently discovered examples offer another illustration of the movement of English silver into Scandinavia during the Viking Age. English coins could reach the region through raiding, tribute, trade and payments made to Viking armies.
English influence on Danish coinage
The coin found in Southern Jutland. Photo: Søren Greve, the National Museum of Denmark.
The “Lamb of God” issue seems to have been produced in relatively small numbers and for only a short period. Its minting may have ended because the hoped-for protection did not materialise, although the precise reason remains uncertain.
The coin’s influence nevertheless continued beyond England. Large quantities of English silver acquired by Vikings helped shape the development of coin production in Denmark, where rulers adopted elements of England’s more established monetary system.
“Danish coinage is inspired by and based on the well-organised English coinage,” adds Ingvardson. “The Vikings soon realised that it was far more practical to use coins than to hack the silver into pieces for trading purposes.”
The two coins seen through a magnifying glass. Photo: John Fhær Engedal Nissen, the National Museum of Denmark.
Even the imagery of the “Lamb of God” coins was copied by Scandinavian rulers. Canute the Great, who ruled both England and Denmark, and his son Harthacnut issued coins bearing the same two motifs. The designs were later used by Sweyn Estridsson, a Danish king who played an important role in the organisation of the Church in Denmark.
The two discoveries therefore connect several major developments of the Viking Age: attacks on England, the spread of Christianity, the movement of silver across northern Europe and the creation of an organised Danish coinage.
“What fascinates me above all is how a little coin is able to unfold the history of English kings and of Christianity in England in a way that links up with Danish Viking-Age kings, Danish coinage and even the establishment of the Danish state. Because this affects all of Viking-Age society. Just imagine that one little coin contains so much history!” says Ingvardson.
Top Image: Gitte Tarnow Ingvardson with one of the two found coins. Photo: John Fhær Engedal Nissen, the National Museum of Denmark.
Two rare English coins created in the hope of protecting the kingdom from Viking attacks have been discovered in Denmark. Instead of stopping the raids, however, the medieval coins appear to have become prized pieces of jewellery worn by Vikings.
The coins were found by metal detectorists at separate locations in northern and southern Jutland. Known as “Lamb of God” coins, they were minted during the reign of the English king Æthelred the Unready at a time when England faced repeated attacks by Viking armies.
“It gave me goose bumps, because these coins are extremely rare, and they convey a special and also paradoxical part of history. They were made to obtain protection against the Vikings, but ended up instead as jewellery or amulets worn by Vikings. That is almost tragicomical,” says Gitte Tarnow Ingvardson, curator at the National Museum of Denmark.
A spiritual response to Viking attacks
In 1009, Æthelred attempted to mobilise both the English kingdom and the Church against the Viking threat. Alongside more conventional defensive efforts, the king ordered widespread fasting and penance in the hope of securing divine assistance.
The unusual coins appear to have formed part of this religious response. Unlike most contemporary English coins, which usually displayed the king on one side and a cross on the other, these examples carried entirely Christian imagery.
On the obverse is a lamb pierced by a cross, representing Christ’s sacrifice. The lamb stands on a plaque bearing the Greek letters alpha and omega, symbols of God as the beginning and end of all things. The reverse depicts a dove ascending towards heaven, symbolising the Holy Spirit.
The coins did not achieve their intended purpose. Viking attacks continued, while examples of the unusual currency travelled into Scandinavia and the Baltic region.
Only around 30 “Lamb of God” coins are known to have been found worldwide. Just four or five have been discovered in England, while most of the others have appeared in Scandinavian and Baltic countries.
Many of these coins were fitted with loops, indicating that they were no longer being used simply as currency. Instead, Vikings may have worn them around their necks as jewellery or amulets. The distinctive Christian designs could have made the coins especially attractive, regardless of whether their new owners understood or shared the intentions behind their creation.
The recently discovered examples offer another illustration of the movement of English silver into Scandinavia during the Viking Age. English coins could reach the region through raiding, tribute, trade and payments made to Viking armies.
English influence on Danish coinage
The “Lamb of God” issue seems to have been produced in relatively small numbers and for only a short period. Its minting may have ended because the hoped-for protection did not materialise, although the precise reason remains uncertain.
The coin’s influence nevertheless continued beyond England. Large quantities of English silver acquired by Vikings helped shape the development of coin production in Denmark, where rulers adopted elements of England’s more established monetary system.
“Danish coinage is inspired by and based on the well-organised English coinage,” adds Ingvardson. “The Vikings soon realised that it was far more practical to use coins than to hack the silver into pieces for trading purposes.”
Even the imagery of the “Lamb of God” coins was copied by Scandinavian rulers. Canute the Great, who ruled both England and Denmark, and his son Harthacnut issued coins bearing the same two motifs. The designs were later used by Sweyn Estridsson, a Danish king who played an important role in the organisation of the Church in Denmark.
The two discoveries therefore connect several major developments of the Viking Age: attacks on England, the spread of Christianity, the movement of silver across northern Europe and the creation of an organised Danish coinage.
“What fascinates me above all is how a little coin is able to unfold the history of English kings and of Christianity in England in a way that links up with Danish Viking-Age kings, Danish coinage and even the establishment of the Danish state. Because this affects all of Viking-Age society. Just imagine that one little coin contains so much history!” says Ingvardson.
Top Image: Gitte Tarnow Ingvardson with one of the two found coins. Photo: John Fhær Engedal Nissen, the National Museum of Denmark.
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