"A rare imitation of a Carolingian gold coin worn as a pendant likely by a soldier in the Viking Great Army that invaded England in 865 A.D. has been discovered in Norfolk. This type of coin was made in workshops in Frisia (today part of the Netherlands) and all 22 of these imitation solidi found in Britain have been found along the route of the Great Army."
"The coin is an imitation of a gold solidus of Louis the Pious (r. 814-840), son of Charlemagne, minted around 816 when he was crowned Holy Roman Empire. It is considered one of the finest of all Carolingian coins and one of the rarest, with only four confirmed examples recorded."
"The Frisian imitations were made much later than the originals. Most of the examples have been found in coin hoards dating to the 870s-880s, and they are very rough with crude outline portrait busts and chicken scratch inscriptions that barely have discernible letters. The earliest examples found in hoards deposited in the 840s and 850s are of notably higher quality."
A high-quality imitation solidus discovered in Norfolk represents one of only 22 known examples found in Britain, all located along the Great Army's route. The coin imitates an original gold solidus of Louis the Pious minted around 816, one of the finest and rarest Carolingian coins with only four confirmed authentic examples. Frisian workshops produced these imitations centuries later, with most examples from 870s-880s hoards being crude and poorly executed. The Norfolk find, dating to the 840s-850s period, demonstrates superior craftsmanship, preserving details of Louis's facial features, the laurel wreath, and inscriptions closely matching the original design. The coin's double piercing indicates it was worn as a pendant.
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