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Already in the final quarter of the 10th century a variety of coins minted in West-
ern Europe – Germany, England, Denmark, Hungary and elsewhere – appeared in the
area of present-day Latvia, as in the whole of Eastern Europe. These were in circulation
throughout the 11th century. The hoard includes 10 Anglo-Saxon coins, two of them coins
of Aethelred II: a Helmet Type coin, minted in 1003–1009, and a Last Small Cross Type
coin, minted in 1009–1017. There are five coins of Knut: Pointed Helmet Type, 1024–1030,
and Short Cross Type, 1030–1035. One is a Jewel Cross coin of Harold I, 1036–1037. The
youngest coins in this group are two Radiate Small Cross coins of Edward the Confessor,
1044–1046. The coins were minted in Dover, Hereford, York (2), Canterbury, Exeter, Lin-
coln, Oxford, Stamford and Warminster.
The hoard contains five Scandinavian imitation coins. So far, the place of minting has
not been precisely determined, but most of them were minted in Scandinavia. Quite possi-
bly, one of the Scandinavian imitation coins from the Turaidas Ragana Hoard was minted
in Sigtuna (TMR 24380). This is a Helmet Type coin of Aethelred II with the name Knut
and the mint-master Dormod? (Thormoth). This type of coin is not previously known.
The earliest Swedish coins were minted in Sigtuna in the time of King Olof Skötkonung
(994–1022). Albeit in small numbers, they have been found in Latvia, too: eight coins
from the 11th century minted in Sigtuna are known.
3
Swedish numismatist Brita Malmer
considers that it is not possible to say at present whether the coin from the Krimuldas Ra-
gana Hoard was actually minted in Sigtuna.
The hoard includes a single Danish coin: a coin of Sven Estridsen (1047–1075), minted
in Viborg. It should be noted that out of 37 Danish coins found in Latvia, the coins of Sven
Estridsen comprise the greatest number (20), which can be explained by the active eastern
policy pursued by this king. He took part in several campaigns to Prussia and Estonia, and
in his time the first church in Latvia was built in the Kurzeme region.
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Out of 122 German coins the greatest number are from the Cologne district (Cologne,
Remagen and Duisburg) and Franconia (Worms, Mainz, Speyer and Fulda), followed by
the Utrecht district (Utrecht, Deventer, Tiel and Groningen), Lower Saxony (Goslar, Gittel-
de and Bardowick), Upper Lorraine (Andernach and Trier), Westphalia (Corvey, Minden,
Soest and Herford), Frisia (Jever and Emden), Eastphalia (Magdeburg and Halberstadt),
Swabia (Strasburg), Lower Lorraine (Zelle) and Bavaria (Regensburg).
Significantly, there are eight coins fromWestphalia, minted at Minden, Corvey, Soest
and Herford – which have rarely been found previously in 11th century hoards in Latvia.
Certain coin types have been found for the first time. The majority of the German coins in
the hoard date from the middle and second half of the 11th century. About five coins were
impossible to determine because of the degree of wear. Many of the coins were minted
in the time of Henry III (1046–1056). There is a particularly large number of coins, 28, of
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Tatjana Berga
• Coins of the Krimuldas Ragana Hoard