A rare Anglo-Saxon gold coin has been found buried in a British field – and it could be the earliest of its kind.
The archaeological discovery has left experts amazed after a man with a metal detector excavated the artefact.
It is believed to date back to between AD640 and AD660, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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Etched onto the gold piece of treasure, a man can be seen dancing while holding a Christian cross in one hand.
A symbol linked to the Norse god Odin is carved into the coin, who, in mythology, was responsible for guiding the dead to the afterlife.
The reverse of the coin also features a design that could be a cross or could be a swastika, which was a good luck symbol during that period.
The sign is encircled by a Latin inscription.
The coin, found near Norwich, Norfolk, is believed to have originated from East Anglia and has been handed over to scientists. Dr Adrian Marsden, a coin specialist from the Norfolk Historic Environment Service, said.
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Dr Marsden hailed the discovery a “massively significant” find and said the coin was made during a time when pagan beliefs were beginning to give way to Christianity.
Its unique design appears to blend the pagan and Christian symbols together.
Dr Marsden wrote in his published research: “It’s got this fascinating iconography of a little figure with a long cross – explicitly Christian – over the valknut design, which has pagan roots.
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“And it is plain from looking at the letters that whoever made the die wasn’t literate.
“The letters don’t bear much resemblance to Latin – they’re garbage really.”
The coin also has a high gold content of up to 60% and is described as the earliest Anglo-Saxon East Anglian coin discovered so far.
Speaking on the area where the coin was found, Dr Marsden said: “There was a line of villas here, and you’ve got the Peddars Way.
“Because the soil is very fertile and it’s prime agricultural land.
“While it’s always very difficult to tie in coins with prices today, the loss was probably worth the equivalent of a few hundred quid to its owner.”
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