The Mørstad Hoard, a huge collection of Viking Age coins, has been voted the Norwegian archeological find of the year. The decision was made last week at the official Norwegian Archaeology Meeting.
Record breaker
The remarkable find was initially discovered in April of this year on Mørstad Farm in eastern Norway by Vegard Sørlie and Rune Sætre, two amateur metal detectorists. The pair immediately contacted the local authorities, and several archaeologists began uncovering thousands of coins.
Over the past few months, experts from Innlandet County and beyond have been cataloguing and analyzing the hoard. The count now stands at 5,536 coins, making it the largest coin hoard ever found in Norway.
The collection includes a number of rarities. Particularly notable are four coins from the reign of Harald Hardrada and another minted under Olaf the Holy. Now, the discovery has been voted the Norwegian archeological find of the year by those that know the area best – the 180 experts in the field who attended the 2026 Norwegian Archaeology Meeting.
Some of the coins at the site. Source: Museum of Cultural History / Innlandet County Council
A worthy winner
The hoard beat out some strong competition, most notably the Porcelain Wreck, a shipwreck found in Skagerrak Strait that held a valuable and rare collection of Chinese porcelain.
Speaking to Science Norway about the Mørstad Hoard, Rebecca Cannell, chair of the Norwegian Archaeology Meeting, stated, “We had anticipated that the Mørstad Hoard and the Porcelain Wreck would be among this year’s favourites.”
“Both are important, fascinating, and unexpected discoveries that can provide important new knowledge and form the basis for further research. In both cases, the investigations have also demonstrated just how important technology and collaboration are when exploring unexpected discoveries.”
Fans of Viking Age treasure and coins will soon have their own chance to view the hoard for themselves. This month, a selection from the find will go on display at the Historical Museum in Oslo. The exhibition will run until November 20, 2026 to March 28, 2027.
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