Ancient Scandinavian Coin with Ancestors Portrait by JAA USA/Philippines Collection

[CSJournals-migration]

Genealogy and numismatics combined in a "perfect storm" of knowledge when my son discovered pictures of an ancient Scandinavian coin bearing the portrait of one of his ancestors.

 

My son has been actively researching our family genealogy for several years and has been very successful in tracing back our family history. Recently he had a breakthrough that enabled him to trace one branch of my wife's family to the second century Kings of Kvenland.

 

Before the emergence of the modern Scandinavian nations the Kings of Kvenland ruled a vast area of Northern Scandinavia in what is now modern day Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

 

According to the Norse sagas and other medieval accounts, the ruling families of England, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Normandy, Norway, the Orkney Islands, Russia, Scotland and Sweden - among many others - descended from the kings of Kvenland.

 

My wife is a direct descendent of the Kings of Kvenland from 160 AD through 830 AD. After 830 AD her branch of the family descended through the Earls of Orkney, to the Norman and English nobility.

 

The most exciting moment in my son's research occurred when he came across pictures of a coin issued by his ancestor Thorri Snaersson, King of Kvenland, Finland and Gothland from 320 AD -- 344 AD. Thorri's portrait appears on both the obverse and reverse of the coin.

 

http://wn.com/Kings_of_Kvenland

 

See more journals by JAA USA/Philippines Collection

[nunfa0]

Sweet piece of family history!!