An angler in Sweden has uncovered a medieval cauldron filled with silver coins and jewellery while digging for worms near a summer cottage in Stockholm County. The find, weighing around 6kg, is believed to be one of the largest silver hoards from the Middle Ages ever found in Sweden.
The cauldron contained approximately 20,000 coins and ornate jewellery, all in remarkably good condition, though the copper container itself had degraded. Stockholm County authorities described the haul as an 'unusually large and well-preserved' discovery.
Archaeologists are examining the collection. Some coins bear inscriptions of King Knut Eriksson, who ruled Sweden from 1173 to 1195, while others depict churches or a bishop holding a crozier, indicating they were minted for medieval clergymen.
Sofia Andersson, an antiquarian at the County Administrative Board of Stockholm, said: 'This is one of the largest silver hoards from the early Middle Ages ever found in Sweden. We don’t yet know exactly how many coins there are, but I believe it could be up to 20,000.'
The finder has handed the treasure to authorities, as required by the Cultural Environment Act. The Swedish National Heritage Board will decide whether to compensate the finder and redeem the hoard for the state.
