The first under the new definition, a 9th Century penny, was in England’s treasure capital, Norfolk, which had 138 finds in 2024 – the most of any county.
Dr Helen Geake, Norfolk finds liaison officer, said the area may be the highest for finds due to being rich with arable fields, historically well-populated and good for collaboration between detectorists and archaeologists.
“It’s the first official coin issued by Aethelstan,” she said.
“A proper government coin”.
It was minted by a Viking warlord after he became a Christian king, known as Aethelstan II.
One picture of the Vikings, she says, is of them “being raiders and pillagers and attacking monasteries – then they turn into these more peaceful Norse settlers”.
“This coin sums up the turning point between the frightening Vikings who are attacking us, and the settler Vikings who actually are us in a strange way.”