Viking Maine Penny Baffles Historians

In 1957, a Norse coin dating back to King Olaf Kyrre's reign (1065-1093 AD) was discovered at a Native American site in Maine by amateur archaeologist Guy Mellgren. Initially misidentified as an English coin, it was later confirmed as a rare Viking artifact-known today as the "Maine Penny"-and its presence sparked fierce debate. While many Viking artifacts in North America have been proven hoaxes, the Maine Penny is almost certainly genuine and aligns chronologically with the Goddard site where it was found. Its condition suggests it was buried for centuries and even bore marks of being worn as jewelry. Despite skepticism about Mellgren's intentions due to his background in coin collecting, the coin's rarity and Mellgren's low-key behavior argue against a hoax.

Experts propose that the coin arrived in Maine not through direct Viking settlement, but via extensive Native American trade routes-possibly originating from Newfoundland's Norse settlement, L'Anse aux Meadows. The Goddard site itself showed unusually high volumes of trade goods, making it plausible that this rare artifact changed many hands before resting in coastal Maine. With no other Norse items found at the site, a Viking visit seems unlikely, but Native trade links with Norse explorers are possible. Though theories abound, the exact path of the Maine Penny remains one of archaeology's most intriguing cold cases.

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