Hoard of Medieval Silver Coins Unearthed in Poland

WARSAW, POLAND—Live Science reports that a hoard of more than 100 silver coins has been discovered in a farmer’s field in northeastern Poland. Mateusz Bogucki of the University of Warsaw said the 1,200-year-old coins, which bear Latin inscriptions and a central cross, were minted in the Carolingian Empire—an area that covered much of what are now France, Germany, Switzerland, and northern Italy. Only three such coins had previously been found in Poland, at the Norse trading center of Truso, which is located on the Baltic coast. Some researchers suggest that the coins may have been part of a ransom of more than five tons of silver and gold paid by a Carolingian king to the Vikings who threatened to sack the city of Paris, since the coins were found about 100 miles from Truso. “If a larger number of the coins can be attributed to Paris, then yes, it is possible—and some have already been attributed to Paris,” Bogucki cautioned. To read about a rare Carolingian cup found in Scotland, go to "Viking Treasure Trove."