A silver treasure from a previous Millennium
Between the years 800-1300 when the Viking expeditions and Christianity met, the northern regions with their natural riches were the interests of the more southern kingdoms. The Kuusamo region was connected to prosperous destinations in North-eastern Europe, from Scandinavia to the White Sea region.
The money cache consists of German, Arabic, English and Danish coins. There is a total of 409 whole or fragmented coins. The discovery dates back to the end of the 11th century.
The money was found by a crofter’s son Herman Nikka who, while mowing hay on July 26th, 1896, was smoothing over a mossy tussock and by chance revealed worn silver coins and their pieces. The money cache in Pyhälahti, Kantokylä, Kuusamo, had been exposed.
The exhibition’s 32 coins are on a loan from the National Museum of Finland. They include a couple fragments of oriental dirhams, one English and one Danish coin. The rest of the coins are German.
The coin collection can be seen in Karhuntassu 2023-2027.
