An Arabic silver dirham found near Aldwincle, Northamptonshire. (c) Portable Antiquities Scheme, CC BY-SA 4.0
Description
Silver Dirham (DENO-07CCA4)
An Arabic silver dirham found near Aldwincle, Northamptonshire
A complete silver dirham of Madinat al-Salam (Baghdad) reign of al-Mahdi Billah, 163 AH (780 AD). The dirham was a unit of weight used across North Africa, the Middle East, and Persia, with varying values which also referred to the type of coins used in the Middle East during the Viking Age. These coins were extremely prized possessions not only for their silver value but as a way of displaying one’s wealth and vast trade connections. Millions of Arabic dirhams would have been imported throughout the Viking world and are mostly found in hoards.
