Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sweden Visby Spillings Hoard

Spillings Hoard

Buried beneath an unassuming Gotland farm was the largest collection of Viking silver, mostly of Islamic origin.

Visby, Sweden

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Bronze arm rings and armlets   W.carter/CC BY 4.0
The second silver cache from the Spillings Hoard   W.carter/CC BY 4.0
The “Moses Coin” on display   W.carter/CC BY 4.0
The bangles, coins, and hacksilver from the first cache   W.carter/CC BY 4.0
Islamic silver coins   W.carter/CC BY 4.0
The Spillings Hoard on display at the Gotland Museum   W.carter/CC BY 4.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In 1999, a TV crew accompanied archaeologist Jonas Ström and numismatist Kenneth Jonsson to an unassuming farm on Gotland, Sweden’s largest island. After a farmer had discovered a Viking coin, roughly 150 coins and artifacts had been unearthed. The crew got the footage they wanted and left the site, but Ström and Jonsson stayed behind, continuing their unofficial search with a metal detector. In less than half an hour, they discovered two massive caches of Viking treasure.

They immediately asked for permission to officially excavate the site, and over 2,000 people reportedly visited the farm the first weekend after the dig was made public. A third cache was soon discovered, and by the end of the excavation, 67 kilograms (148 pounds) of silver and 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of bronze artifacts had been dug up. 

The hoard, believed to have been buried beneath a ninth-century outhouse, consisted of coins, ingots, and jewelry items such as rings, bangles, and necklaces. Of the 14,295 coins discovered here, as many as 14,200 of them were centuries-old Islamic dirhams. The remaining 95 were an assortment of Nordic, Byzantine, and Persian coins. A few were contemporary counterfeits.

Perhaps most compelling was the discovery of “the Moses Coin.” Minted in the Khazar Kingdom around 800, the coin imitates the design of the silver dirham, but mentions Moses rather than Muhammad in its inscription, offering some archaeological evidence for the popular yet unconfirmed claim that Khazar rulers converted to Judaism.

The Spillings Hoard is the largest Viking hoard ever discovered. Its treasures are now on display at Sweden's Gotland Museum.

Related Tags

Vikings Treasure Coins Jewelry

Know Before You Go

The museum is open every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If traveling by car, follow 140 toward the harbor. Otherwise, take the bus to the Visby stop, and the museum will be about a kilometer (about 0.6 miles) away.

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

May 22, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/fyndlokal.asp?lokalid=52803
  • https://www.themoscowtimes.com/archive/biggest-viking-hoard-unveiled
Spillings Hoard
14 Strandgatan
Innerstaden
Visby, 621 56
Sweden
57.639656, 18.292437
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Maiden's Tower

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Sankt Göransporten Arrow Slit

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Galgberget Gallows

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Visby

Visby

Sweden

Places 5

Nearby Places

The Maiden's Tower

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Sankt Göransporten Arrow Slit

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Galgberget Gallows

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Visby

Visby

Sweden

Places 5

Related Places

  • A detail of the lobby mural.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Bangkok Coin Museum

    Chronicling the history of Thailand’s unique currencies, from the silver “bullet money” to porcelain gambling tokens of various shapes.

  • Remains of an old fort on Dalkey Island.

    Dublin, Ireland

    Dalkey Island

    A tiny island off the coast of Dublin was once a pilgrimage site for the sick and the suffering.

  • This “ship” was once a flower sculpture.

    Andover, England

    Viking Longboat

    This former floral display recalls Andover’s crucial role in Viking history in England.

  • The “Kajiki cash” was once minted at this spot.

    Aira, Japan

    Kajiki Unofficial Mint Site

    Imitations of Chinese coins were minted here for foreign trade before Japan got its own currency.

  • Sherborne St John, England

    The Vyne

    Alongside its 16th- and 17th-century architecture and interiors, this mansion houses an Ancient Roman ring that some believe may have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien.

  • A statue of famed numismatist Chet Krause in his hometown of Iola, Wisconsin.

    Iola, Wisconsin

    Chester L. Krause Legacy Park

    This rural park in central Wisconsin honors one of the world’s most prominent numismatists.

  • Coin Display inside Maine Troop Greeters Entrance.

    Bangor, Maine

    Maine Troop Greeters Museum

    Inside the Bangor International Airport is a collection of military challenge coins.

  • Sodbrunnen

    Zurich, Switzerland

    Sodbrunnen Rennweg

    A 700-year-old drinking fountain turned charity for the less fortunate of Zurich.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.