An early medieval silver penny of Guthrum of East Anglia, the first silver coin minted by a Viking ruler in Britain, is displayed at the British Museum's annual treasure launch in London, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON (AP) — When Malcolm Weale saw the tiny, dirt-covered object he’d unearthed in an English field, he knew it was something special.
In his hand was a silver penny minted during the reign of Guthrum, a Viking commander who converted to Christianity and ruled eastern England in the ninth century as Athelstan II.
