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The Viking World: A History in ObjectsMain MenuGallery viewA galleryTag Cloudtag cloud pageThemesA path of thematic categoriesAuthor IndexExplore the collection by authorWorks CitedReferencesAdam Bigelow3afa9c7ecebf516bba6609664b1b12f79c54bf77Caitlin Donahue61b7e986e7c71d400e5c803912ed83c0cf65252fCaroline Harvey1783f21a5882b5b4d3d0b6c174d058052a5ff7eaEdward Hershewee701ef220480b51ca728fc9c719bc094cf813655Martin Hoffmana1fd203afd9a84ee8db567e188cf6ed1d269386eTyler Hruby23493f763b312110686cfafc62578fd0ab5f3833Brittany N. Johnsonc1c1763339f8fa953e3c907c6bb8a3bad0c28b2cCarlos Lua Pineda0a28cc23b0aa00b4f24a9e205aeb57fbdb07ff01Moira McConnell710633400590ea38533ea3412c01fc5056288180Clara McCurdy9aec76477d0b55f9c685c47330d6786ec98182e1Elise McIlhaneyef48481634ff342c8b43c9d56f678b2d3562fb69Cameron Meikle669a5682bfbfd603130a26e25628f24eb07e6295Alexander Christopher Newkirk019c2f5b38c043507251d1789e2fdf47e61c3b7fBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6Liam Sullivanaa3a1dccb90c7fe4646b61c4af594abbb0c5574aRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611eadAliza Yazdanicd49f227d88c72331226ddf574bf56c37308cd10Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
Discoid Lead Weight
12017-05-20T18:02:36-07:00Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6164562A round, faded lead weightplain2017-05-20T18:05:57-07:00Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6
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12017-05-24T10:09:20-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707deaMap ViewAustin Mason2An interactive map of all the objects in the collectiongoogle_maps2017-05-24T11:39:30-07:00Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
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12017-05-21T13:17:57-07:00Discoid Lead Weight5Object Pageplain2017-09-21T17:45:57-07:00Weights were one of the primary ways for the Vikings to fairly exchange goods in trade. This lead forty-four gram weight, for example, would have been used for measuring the amount of silver or gold in the English coins and Viking ingots.[1]
The Vikings, unlike the British, French, and much of Europe, did not base value on the shape of a metal; instead, they cared solely about the quality and quantity of the currency, which was in most cases ingots of silver.[2] They employed a bullion economy, which required weights and scales in order to trade fairly. Therefore, this lead weight would have been an effective tool for a Viking trader to make a fair transaction.
The exact nature of the ingot makes it ideal for a Viking trader. Because it is composed almost entirely of lead, and lead is one of the heaviest common metals known to man, the weight would have been much more efficient than a more bulky, less dense metal. In addition, the weight measures 43.83 grams, which is slightly under ten units of 4.43 grams (the standard bullion weight). However, one would imagine after being underground for over a millennium anything would lose a little bit of its mass, so this statistic makes sense. Lastly, the weight is stamped into a round shape so it is more uniform and could perhaps be stacked with the other sizes of weights that a trader might be carrying.[3]
This lead weight was found by means of a metal detector in north-east Lincolnshire. During the Viking Age, this spate of land would have been right in the middle of the Danelaw. The Danelaw was the large section of England given to the Norse through the Treaty of Wedmore. The presence of such a commonplace Norse economic tool found so inland not only indicates Viking presence in the area, but confirms the Danelaw’s very existence.
