Viking-era silver coins found in Sweden

updated 9:54 p.m. ET Nov. 1, 2006

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Archaeologists said Monday they found more than 1,000 silver coins in a Viking-era hoard discovered by chance on the Swedish island of Gotland.

The treasure, believed to have been buried in the 10th century, also included several silver bracelets and weighed about 7 pounds, local curator Majvor Ostergren told Swedish news agency TT.

Edvin Sandborg, 20, and his 17-year-old brother Arvid said they found the hoard last week when they were helping a neighbor with some yard work.

"By coincidence, I happened to find an Arabic silver coin that's about 1,100 years old," Edvin Sandborg told TT.

The brothers said they dug up more than 100 coins and decided to contact a local museum, which sent archeologists to excavate the site.

Officials said the two brothers could expect a finder's fee from the government, but it was unclear how much they would be paid.

Dozens of silver hoards have been uncovered on Gotland, the largest island in the Baltic Sea, which used to be a major trade center for the Vikings.

The largest treasure found on the island contained about 143 pounds of silver and 44 pounds of bronze.

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