Two English 'Lamb of God' coins discovered in Denmark.

Two 'Lamb of God' coins issued by the English King Æthelred the Unready around the year 1009 AD have been discovered in Denmark, according to a press release issued by the National Museum of Denmark on 29 April 2026. The coins were both uncovered by metal detectorists, one in the north of Jutland and one in the south.

An English 'Lamb of God' coin discovered by a metal detectorist in northern Jutland. Søren Greve/National Museum of Denmark.

The Lamb of God coins were a special edition coin produced by Æthelred the Unready as part of an attempt to obtain divine protection for his kingdom, along with a series of religious ceremonies, fasts, and penances. Unlike regular Saxon coins, which typically had the king's head on one side and a cross on the other, they had a 'Lamb of God' sign on one side, which comprised a Lamb pierced by a cross, a symbol for Jesus, and a Dove on the other, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

An English 'Lamb of God' coin discovered by a metal detectorist in southern Jutland. Søren Greve/National Museum of Denmark.

The crisis which provoked these measures was the invasion of England by Viking raiders, mostly from Denmark. However, this was did not prove to be an effective method of defence, with southern England being ravaged by the armies of Thorkell the Tall between 1009 and 1013, and Sweyn Forkbeard launching a full-scale invasion in 1013 which forced Æthelred into exile. Sweyn Forkbeard died in 1014, allowing Æthelred to briefly regain his thrown, though he lost it again in 1016 to Sweyn's son, Cnut.

While the coins failed to save Æthelred's reign, they were apparently very popular with the invading Vikings. Of the 30 known examples, only 4-5 have been found in England, with the remainder discovered in Scandinavian and Baltic countries, the majority with piercings which suggest the Vikings wore them as pendants.

Having conquered England in 1016, Cnut succeeded to the throne of Denmark in 2018, following the death of his brother Harald II. In 1026 Olaf Haraldsson, King of Norway, mounted an invasion of Denmark while Cnut was in England, starting a series of wars which led to Olaf's death in 1030, and Cnut installing his wife, Ælfgifu of Northampton, as regent of Norway. 

Having unified England, Denmark, and Norway into a single state (referred to as the North Sea Empire by modern historians), Cnut set about consolidating and unifying his empire. This included the introduction of silver coinage on the English model to Denmark and Scandinavia. Prior to this, coins had not been directly used as legal tender in this area, silver measured by weight used as the standard medium of exchange. However, the innovation appears to have been quickly adopted, with coins accepted as an easier way to do business.

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