Ancient coins in Denmark in the Viking context, the Middle Ages and the modern period. Varying find patterns and some (almost) unique novelties

The article presents examples of finds of ancient coins from Medieval and later contexts in Denmark. It shows that a low number of Roman bronze coins appear in Early Medieval (Viking Age) contexts, notably in and around the Early Medieval
emporium at Ribe, while Roman denarii in slightly later silver hoards seems to be a phenomenon so far restricted to the area around the Baltic coast. There is so far little archaeological evidence for the use of Roman coins in medieval religious contexts, and the well documented evidence for the presence of large numbers of Roman coins in Renaissance and later collections is not reflected by unambiguous traces in the archaeological record. Examples of ‘hoards’ of ancient coins that must have been deposited (or lost) recently highlight the problem of dating the deposition (or loss) of Roman coins from fi nds without a context. Two recent, and so far unique finds, of Roman gold coins from a Viking Age hoard, and the possible use of a sestertius for a Viking Age/medieval brooch are presented.