Rare coin bearing face of king with infamous nickname unearthed after 1,000 years

The coin was unearthed during an excavation in Nesting, a coastal community in Scotland's eastern Shetland Islands, according to Jam Press.

Pictures show a thick, greenish-brown patina covering its surface, though some of the original markings remain visible.

The excavation was originally conducted to investigate prehistoric structures threatened by coastal erosion, according to Archaeology Shetland.

The archaeological investigation included an examination of nearby Iron Age structures.

The artifact was minted between 991 and 997 A.D., Jam Press noted.

Ethelred, best known for his failed attempts to fend off Viking invasions, was eventually driven from the throne by Danish King Swein Forkbeard.

Elinor Graham, an archaeologist from the University of Aberdeen, was on vacation in Shetland when she participated in the excavation, according to Jam Press.

"This is exactly how I wanted to spend my holiday," Graham said.

"The writing on the coin is still so sharp, and we knew immediately that it was extremely rare, actually unique, in this context."

The discovery could offer clues about ancient trade routes between Viking-controlled Shetland and Anglo-Saxon England, though researchers have not ruled out the possibility that the coin was taken during a Norse raid.

Scotland's Treasure Trove Unit will determine whether the artifact should be offered to a museum.

She said the discovery suggests the area may once have been home to a "well-connected cosmopolitan community" with trading links to Anglo-Saxon England.

"It's an area with a huge amount of history through the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the early medieval period and into the Viking Norse period," Graham said.

The ancient coin is one of many that have surfaced across the United Kingdom.