Maine penny facts for kids
The Maine penny, also known as the Goddard coin, is an old Norwegian silver coin. It was made during the time of King Olaf Kyrre of Norway (1067–1093 AD). This special coin was found in Maine, USA, in 1957. Some people believe it is proof that Norsemen (Vikings) visited North America long before Christopher Columbus.
Contents
How the Coin Was Found
A local person named Guy Mellgren, who enjoyed looking for old things, said he found the coin on August 18, 1957. He found it at a place called the Goddard Site. This site was a large Native American settlement near Penobscot Bay in Brooklin, Maine.
Over many years, about 30,000 items from this site were given to the Maine State Museum. The Maine penny was given to the museum in 1974.
About the Coin Itself
When the coin was first found, people thought it was a British penny from the 1100s. But in 1978, experts from London thought it might be from Norsemen.
Today, everyone agrees that the Maine penny is a silver coin from King Olaf Kyrre's time. Kolbjørn Skaare from the University of Oslo said the coin was made between 1065 and 1080 AD. It was used a lot in the 1100s and 1200s. The coin had a small hole, probably so someone could wear it like a necklace.
Where Did It Come From?
The Goddard site, where the coin was found, was used by people between 1180 and 1235 AD. The people living there were likely ancestors of the Penobscot tribe. This time is about 200 years after the main Vinland voyages (around 1000 AD) described in Norse stories. However, Norse people lived in Greenland from the 900s to the 1400s. They could have traveled to North America during that time.
There are two main ideas about how the coin got to Maine:
- Norse Travel: Some believe Norsemen from Greenland traveled further south than Newfoundland and reached Maine.
- Native Trade: Others think the coin traveled through a large Native American trade network. The Goddard site was a busy trading place. The coin might have been traded from Norse people in Labrador or Newfoundland to Native Americans, and then traded again until it reached Maine.
The Maine State Museum thinks the coin was found at the site. They see it as proof of Norse presence in North America. However, they also say it was most likely traded by Native Americans. They believe it came from places like L'Anse-aux-Meadows in Newfoundland, where the only known Norse settlement in the New World has been found. The museum calls it the only genuine pre-Columbian Norse item found in the United States.
Questions About the Coin
Some people have wondered if the coin might not be a genuine archaeological find. Coins like this Norwegian silver penny were available for sale in 1957. So, it's possible the person who found it might have placed it there, or someone else might have. However, the reason for doing so is not clear. Because of these questions, the coin's true archaeological importance is still debated.
The American Numismatic Society has said that there isn't strong proof about how the Goddard coin was found. They suggest that someone might have tried to make the situation confusing. They think the Norse coin from Maine should probably be seen as a trick.
However, a paper from 2017 by a Norwegian coin expert named Svein Gullbeck suggests that the coin is a real find.
Other Sources
- Skaare, Kolbjorn (1976) Coins and Coinage in Viking-age Norway (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget) ISBN: 9788200015420
- Bourque, Bruce (2004) Twelve Thousand Years: American Indians in Maine (University of Nebraska Press) ISBN: 9780803262317
- Carpenter, Edmund (2003). Norse penny. New York: The Rock Foundation.
- Haviland, William (2012) Canoe Indians of Down East Maine (The History Press) ISBN: 9781609496654
- Kolodny, Annette. (2012) In Search of First Contact: The Vikings of Vinland, the Peoples of the Dawnland, and the Anglo-American Anxiety of Discovery. (Durham & London: Duke University Press)
- Prins, Harald E.L.; McBride, Bunny (2007) Asticou's Island Domain: Wabanaki Peoples at Mount Desert Island 1500–2000. (Boston: National Park Service)
- Richard, Wilfred E.; William Fitzhugh (2014) Maine to Greenland: Exploring the Maritime Far Northeast (Smithsonian Institution) ISBN: 9781588343796
Images for kids
-
A coin similar to the Maine penny
See also
In Spanish: Penique de Maine para niños
