Swedish Soldier's Coins and Ritual Burials Found in St. Petersburg
Archaeologists have examined 249 coins found in the Nyenskans fortress. Among them are a soldier's purse and ritual burials with the tradition of the 'obol of the dead'.
Jul 29, 2026 0
Map of the distribution of Swedish coins from the 16th–17th centuries on the Okhta Cape.
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Researchers from the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHMC RAS) have analyzed 249 coins discovered during excavations of the Swedish fortress Nyenskans on the Okhta Cape. The collection includes two unique groups: coins from a soldier«s purse and ritual coins from burials.
A group of 14 well-preserved coins from the Dead Bastion represents a soldier«s savings.
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Archaeological work covering an area of about 30,000 square meters was conducted from 1993 to the 2010s. The Nyenskans fortress existed on this site since 1611. Most coins were lost individually in daily life, not hidden as hoards.
Queen Christina«s copper coins in graves reflect the ancient obol of the dead custom.
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Of particular interest is a cluster of 14 coins found on ancient soil beneath the Dead Bastion. This fortification was built in 1661–1666, and its embankment preserved an earlier layer. On an area of about two meters (6.6 ft), 11 Swedish copper öre from 1627–1629 and 3 silver coins were found, including a rare öre of Charles IX from 1611. The coins are in excellent condition, atypical for the area. Experts concluded that this is not a random scatter but a coherent complex — likely a lost purse.
According to IHMC RAS staff member Konstantin Gorlov, «The composition of the coins and their condition indicate that these were the savings of a lower-ranking soldier of the Swedish garrison. Soldiers at that time often kept small amounts in copper coins. Later, during the construction of new bastions, this layer was covered by a multi-meter embankment, turning the find into a kind of time capsule, hence the good preservation.»
Another important find — 11 copper coins of Queen Christina, discovered in ten graves at the garrison cemetery southeast of the fortress. The coins were placed inside the coffins, usually near the head or chest of the deceased. There are no holes or signs of wear, meaning they were not used as ornaments. This indicates a ritual nature. Scientists associate it with the ancient custom of the «obol of the dead» — payment for passage to the afterlife, dating back to the myth of Charon. In Nyenskans, this practice is archaeologically recorded from the mid-1630s to the mid-17th century, as long as the necropolis was in use.
In addition to Swedish coins, archaeologists discovered Russian silver kopecks from the times of Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov, and Vasily Shuisky. They are concentrated in the northeastern part of the cape. Researchers believe this indicates the location of the trading post «Neva Mouth» with a customs house, which existed before the arrival of the Swedes (before 1611) and served as a place of active trade with Russian merchants.
The excavations also allowed tracing the evolution of monetary circulation in the fortress. In the early layers (before the destruction of Nyenskans in 1656), copper öre of Gustav II Adolf and Queen Christina dominate. In later layers, after 1666, coins of Charles XI appear, belonging to the last period of the fortress«s existence.
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