Coin die

Coin Die

The business end of a coin die.

How do you make money?

This is something we all want to know! Archaeologists have discovered how the Vikings made money. In a small wooden house iron objects were recovered which were used to make coins. They are called dies.

Each coin has a 'head' and a 'tail' (a front and a back). To make a coin, a thin piece of metal is placed between two dies, one with the pattern of a 'head' on it and one with the pattern of a 'tail'. The top die is hit hard with a hammer and the pattern from the dies is impressed on the metal disc — which then becomes a coin!

Together with the coin dies were pieces of lead which had been used for testing the dies - to see that the pattern was just right before real coins were made. We don't know if the coins themselves were made in this house or whether the people working there just made the dies. These objects would once have been very valuable. If you had two you would be able to make money — until the king caught up with you!