Updated October 4th, 2021 at 18:08 IST

Two Danish metal detector enthusiasts unearth 1,000-year-old silver treasure

The two Danish metal detector enthusiasts stumbled upon a large silver trove put into the ground around 1,000 years ago outside Denmark's Ruds Vedby.

Reported by: Ajeet Kumar
Image: Facebook/Sorø Museum - en del af Museum Vestsjælland | Image:self
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The two Danish metal detector enthusiasts, Per Carlsen and Jimmy Christensen, abruptly found a large silver trove put into the ground around 1,000 years ago outside Ruds Vedby in the middle of the island of Zealand on September 30, Thursday. According to a report by Danish television news channel TV 2, the two metal enthusiasts found more than 600 coins that were believed to be kept by an English-born king of Denmark, Svend Estridsen and the ruler of the Northern Sea Empire, the Great or Canute, Sputnik reported on Monday. According to the Russian news agency, Estridsen was known for his courage on the battlefield and his social works. Whereas, few reports said Canute ruled over the Northern Sea Empire. 

Have a look at the Facebook post of the museum:

"It was completely insane. My body simply responded to the tension and I never think I have never sweated so much before. Wherever we looked, there were coins, told Jimmy Christensen, who has been using a metal detector for a couple of years.
"When we received a visit from the museum, there were so many coins that they were stuck in the mud on the rubber boots. It was completely wild," added Christensen. According to the two Danish metal detector enthusiasts, most of the coins contained Danish and German carvings and were believed put inside the deep Earth around the 12th century. They said the condition of the coin exhibit they were not frequently used and rather kept with an intention of treasure. 

The value of the coins are yet to be assessed: Museum inspector

Meanwhile, an inspector at Museum West Zealand, Kirsten Christensen, has termed the recent findings "rarest of the rare". She also confirmed that coins were kept to make it a treasure. The museum inspector said that the treasure was taken to the Sorø Museum and would be kept for exhibition. "We know at least 600 silver coins unearthed from Svend Estriden's period in Denmark. It's a nice discovery because the coins are in such fine condition and, the finders deserve their pat on the shoulder," said Christensen to the Danish television news channel. "The assessment of the value has not been done as of now. However, we have chosen to exhibit it as we think it is such a beautiful find, and when we send it to the National Museum, we do not know what happens to it then."

(Image: Sorø Museum - en del af Museum Vestsjælland/Facebook)

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Published October 4th, 2021 at 18:08 IST