Breedon Silver Ingot (X.A236.2009.0.0)

A silver ingot found at Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire

A Viking silver ingot which could have been used as bullion in payments or trade transactions, as well as a source of metal for jewellery making. The Vikings arriving in England had a bullion economy where they paid for goods with silver that was weighed to an amount agreed between the buyer and the seller. Hacksilver and silver ingots are the most common evidence for their bullion economy. It took some time for the Scandinavian settlers to adopt a monetary economy like that of the Anglo-Saxons, and both systems were used simultaneously for a while before they fully adopted the new system. They were familiar with monetary economies but they treated coins as just another form of silver before adoption of a monetary economy.

Object Type

Bullion

Date

circa 850 — 1000

Ascribed Culture

Original/Reproduction

Original

Material

Collection

Viking Objects

Current Location

Leicestershire County Council

Keywords

bullion, Danelaw Saga, Economy, ingot, Leicestershire, Portable_Antiquities_Scheme, silver, trade, Viking

Further information

You can see the original at Leicestershire County Council.

This object is related to Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire.
Find out about Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire.

Acknowledgements

Leicestershire County Council

(c) Portable Antiquities Scheme, CC BY-SA 4.0

References

Portable Antiquities Scheme