Saka hoard from Ida-Viru County, concealed after 1099

Abstract

In early autumn 2025, metal detectorists discovered a Late Viking Age hoard of coins and silver jewellery in Saka village, Toila municipality (Ida-Viru County, Estonia). Subsequent archaeological fieldwork revealed a dispersed hoard that contained 304 coins, including eight Islamic dirhams, 246 denars of the Holy Roman Empire, 22 English pennies, two Anglo-Scandinavian imitations, one Bohemian and one Hungarian denar, and 24 unidentified coins or fragments. The latest identifiable issues date to c. 1099–1112, while the absence of coins of Henry V (enthroned 1106) suggests deposition around the beginning of the 12th century.
The assemblage is notable for the presence of numerous rare or previously unknown German coin types, some represented by only a few known specimens worldwide. In addition to coins, the hoard contained fragments and intact examples of silver jewellery. Together with nearby archaeological finds and sites, the hoard reflects the dense settlement and economic activity of the region and is likely connected to trade networks linked to a harbour and marketplace near the Purtse hill fort.