Coins finds from Källa Old Church, Öland, period 1350–1450
The number of coins in Källa church increased significantly from the 1350s onwards, indicating that the use of coins was becoming more common. A lot of things were paid for with coins during this period, both inside and outside the church. According to written sources of the time, coins were used extensively to pay wages, taxes and large payments.
The dominant coins in Källa were what is known as W-bracteates, which were struck on Gotland. They are very thin, and the later the coins, the higher the copper content. Higher denominations are also found, in the form of Gotlandic örtugar. These valuable coins were probably used, together with foreign coins, by merchants and the social elite.
