Around the World: Counterfeit Coin Tells a Tale
A counterfeit gold solidus discovered in Norfolk is helping researchers trace Viking activity and trade routes in early medieval England.
A coinage find doesn’t always need to be a “hoard” of multiple coins to be important. A single counterfeit issue recently discovered in Norfolk, England, fits such a description.
The coin, an imitation of a gold solidus of Louis the Pious (814–840), was discovered in September 2024; the announcement of the find was made public only recently. The coin is currently awaiting a coroner’s report to determine if it will be legally classified as a “treasure” under English law. It appears the coin may be acquired by the Norwich Castle Museum.
Simon Coupland, a specialist in Carolingian dynastic coins of western and central Europe, is involved in the study of the fake coin. According to Coupland, “It’s unusual because it’s made from gold, it’s minted on the continent, and it’s associated with the Vikings.”
The coin was found in a field at Elsing, a village about 2.4 miles from Dereham, by an individual using a metal detector. Dereham is a small market town known as the “heart of Norfolk.”
The first towns in Norfolk that still exist today were settled by about 800. Norfolk was the northern half of East Anglia, a kingdom ruled by the Anglo-Saxon Wulfing or “wolf clan” dynasty. The “heathen force” of Vikings attacked Norfolk in 865. Edmund, the final king of East Anglia, was killed by the Vikings in 869. Stories of the clan appear in Norse sagas, including Beowulf.
To date, there have been 22 of these imitation solidi found throughout England; this is the second imitation solidus of this type to have been found in the county. By having each find properly reported, the Portable Antiquities Scheme has been able to compile information and understand what took place at the time each coin was lost or deliberately buried. These finds have helped determine the path of the Viking Great Army, described as being “a great heathen force” in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It is believed the first version of this chronicle was written during the reign of King Alfred “the Great” (871 to 899).
The Vikings traversed rivers and old Roman-era roads to cross England as they gained control of East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria. Louis the Pious, in whose name the imitations were minted in about 816, succeeded his father, Charlemagne, as Holy Roman emperor.
Coupland said of these finds: “Experts disagree on whether there’s a tiny handful or a handful of the originals around…The Norfolk find is a particularly fine specimen compared with most. It’s copying an original quite closely––you can see quite a few of the letters do look like letters.”
Imitation solidii of Louis the Pious feature a laurelled half bust facing right on the obverse, accompanied by the legend “NHIIVVDOVSHNIAN.” The legend is an abbreviation of Dominus Noster Ludovicus Imperator Augustus, which translates from Latin to “Our lord Louis august emperor.”
The reverse of these imitations depicts a cross within a circle of dots accompanied by the legend “IVHVHVNISVNVN.” The legend is a form of Munus divinum, a reference to the king ruling by the grace of God.
Each known example weighs about 4.4 grams and has a diameter of about 20 millimeters. These are hand-hammered coins on which the bust on the obverse may vary greatly due to the hand-engraved dies from which they were struck.
A genuine example sold for 120,000 euros, or about $141,495, in a November 6-8, 2025, auction by Jean Elsen & ses Fils in France. An imitation similar to the recent find sold for £36,000 ($48,627.95) in a December 17, 2024, Spink and Son auction in England.
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