A ninth-century coin depicting Saint John the Baptist has been discovered in eastern England, in a find that experts say is highly unusual for its time and raises questions about its origin and meaning, BBC reports.
The object, a pendant made from a perforated gold coin, was found by a metal detectorist near Dunton, in Norfolk. One side bears the inscription “IOAN” alongside the profile of a bearded man, while the reverse shows fragments of a Latin text interpreted as “John, Baptist and Evangelist.”
Numismatist Simon Coupland said the discovery is difficult to explain. The discovery raised more questions than it answered, which makes it “fascinating, unique and intriguing,” he said.
According to the specialist, the lettering style suggests the coin dates from the second half of the ninth century, resembling Carolingian coins from around the 860s–870s.
Unusual coin
Depicting a saint on a coin from that period is highly uncommon. “I don’t know of another John the Baptist from the Carolingian period; it’s bizarre – it’s not like anything else I know,” the expert said.
“If you look at who is pictured on portrait coins of the 9th Century in Western Europe, it is the king, but not John, not Christ – that is a Byzantine Empire thing,” he said.
He added that the discovery is even more unusual because the method of producing the coin resembles that used by Scandinavian Vikings, who were not Christian at the time.
“So what are they doing depicting John the Baptist?” he asked.
A mysterious find
“So now you see why it is such a mysterious find; it’s like a child with a hexagonal shaped object trying to fit it into squares when it doesn’t fit at all,” the expert concluded.
The coin is currently undergoing legal assessment under treasure legislation, after which a coroner will determine whether it qualifies as treasure. Norwich Castle Museum has already expressed interest in acquiring the piece.
Photo: Norfolk County Council / Andrew Williams
