Man using metal detector finds 4,000+ Viking Age silver coins buried 39 feet apart

Image: Esko Tikkala/Lahti Museums A Finnish metal detectorist has uncovered what is believed to be the country's largest known Viking Age silver coin hoard after finding thousands of ancient coins near the village centre of Sysmä. Kalle Lappinen discovered the hoard on September 3, 2026, and reported the find to authorities, allowing archaeologists from Lahti Museums to begin recovering the material the following day. The discovery contains thousands of silver coins weighing about 4.5 kilograms, along with other silver objects. What makes the find particularly unusual is that the treasure was divided between two birch-bark containers buried about 12 metres, or 39 feet, apart. The hoard is preliminarily dated to around AD 1000 to 1050.Metal detector leads to thousands of Viking Age silver coinsLappinen was searching near Sysmä when his metal detector led him to the buried material. The discovery soon revealed an unusually large concentration of silver coins, far exceeding the scale of most Late Iron Age hoards previously found in the area. Archaeologists from Lahti Museums began recovering the objects on September 4. The coins and other material were carefully removed for conservati...