RARE COIN OF OLAF THE HOLY IDENTIFIED

Anne Skogsfjord had initially classified the coin as an English Æthelred II coin.

Since the summer, she has catalogued hundreds of coins from the Mørstad Hoard – Norway's largest coin hoard from the Viking Age, which was discovered by two metal detectorists this spring.

But then she read what was written on it: ONLAF R+ NORMANORV.

"Could I really be holding an Olaf Haraldsson coin in my hands? And it turned out that I actually was!" Skogsfjord says in a press release from the Museum of Cultural History.

Only 20 coins issued by Olaf Haraldsson – Olaf the Holy himself – have been found, and most of them were discovered outside Norway.

Only four examples of the type now found in the Mørstad Hoard have previously been discovered, with just one of them in Norway.

Olaf the Holy was king of Norway from 1015 to 1028.

According to the Great Norwegian Encyclopedia, he was 'without doubt the most significant of the Norwegian kings during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages.'

He played an important role in the introduction of Christianity. He died at the Battle of Stiklestad, but lived on as Norway's patron saint after his death.

The Olaf Haraldsson coin depicts the king in profile, wearing a conical battle helmet. ONLAF R+ NORMANORV is written around the image. It means Olaf, king of the Norwegians.

On the reverse side of the coin, there is a cross and a Christian tribute.

To read the complete article, see:
Sensational coin discovery: "We have found a national treasure" (https://www.sciencenorway.no/archaeology-culture-the-viking-age/sensational-coin-discovery-we-have-found-a-national-treasure/2721235)
Rare coin of Norway's King Olaf Haraldsson found in the country's largest Viking hoard (https://archaeologymag.com/2026/10/rare-coin-of-norways-king-olaf-haraldsson-in-viking-hoard/)

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