Florent Audy

Pierced and Looped

Coins. The Use of Coins
as Ornaments in the
Viking Age.
Mars 2014

Numismatiska Klubben i Uppsala

Two coin-ornaments from the British Museum. To

the left, a Late Antique coin-set pendant. To the
right, the Wilton Cross.

A random selection of Viking coin-ornaments.

Arabic

German

English

Total

Denmark

5 100

24 000

14 500

57 900

Norway

400

3 300

3 300

10 700

Sweden

65 100

78 400

32 100

190 600

Mainland Sweden

15 300

16 200

6 300

44 800

Gotland

49 800

62 200

25 800

145 800

Finland

1 700

3 800

1 000

7 000

Total

72 300

109 500

50 900

266 200

Survey of coins from the 8th-12th centuries found in

the Nordic countries. Source Talvio 2002

Comparison between two coin-pendants from Birka.

Same scale.

Scandinavian coins with deer and mask, c.850.

Birka grave Bj 184.

Necklace with Byzantine coin-pendant.

Birka grave Bj 632.

Fragment of necklace from Paunkla, Estonia. 11th century.

Chain of coins from Johannishus.

Examples of miniature amulets found in combination

with coin-pendants. Birka grave Bj 968.

Ornaments from
the Vrby hoard.

One of the imitation coins from the

Vrby hoard.

Agnus Dei coin-pendant from the

Johannishus hoard.