From Aftenposten: Ancient coin found near Oslo.

An Islamic coin from 805 AD, found on the Hurum peninsula just west of Oslo, is causing a stir among Norwegian archaeologists.

The silver dirhem, minted in Iran, is one of the earliest examples of coins to turn up in the Nordic countries.

Several other hordes in the area have contained similar coins, but none date back as far as this. The previous finds have been 100-150 years younger.

According to Houshang Khazaei, a researcher at the University of Oslo, the coin was minted in Mohammadiyyah in Iran. The ruler at the time was Harun al-Rashid, the fifth and most famous of the Abbasid caliphs. [continue, see photo].