The most interesting thing about this cup is its design of four large animals (including a bull and a running beast) surrounded by foliage, some of which spirals into tendrils that terminate in the heads of the animals. This style of design is distinctly Carolingian and typological dating has placed the cup's production in eighth or ninth century western Europe. 

So what was this cup doing buried with a collection of Danish/English coins and a Scandinavian necklace in a moor in England? Using typical assumptions of viking behavior, one might think that it was buried by a jealous viking captain, like a pirate jealously guarding his booty. However, raiding was only one part of Scandinavian interactions with England and western Europe. The Norse actively engaged in trade all over Europe, making use of the resources available in Scandinavia and collecting objects from England, Western Europe, and beyond.^3, 4    
The objects in this hoard may have come from trade or raids, but the circumstances in which they were deposited are equally murky. They may have been intentionally left or deserted. They may not even have been left by vikings; the people of England also had access to trade with Norse merchants and Western Europe. The Halton Moor hoard and its cup leave more questions than they answer, but they make clear that viking trade and raid were not as simple as modern convention assumes.