Silver Ingot
This particular ingot, weighing 12.64 grams, would have been used as a way in which the Vikings could trade for desired goods. The Norse, unlike the English and French, did not have the ability to enforce and produce money in coin form. Instead, they simply cared about the quality and quantity of the metal. Therefore, ingots, typically made from precious metals, were one of the primary forms of Viking “currency”, especially during the Viking Age in England.
The ingot weighs approximately one half of the standard Viking weight unit prevalent during this period.[1] This, combined with the fact that a small chunk of silver was found nearby when it was excavated, suggests that the ingot was almost certainly sliced in order to fit the transaction. Because of the various costs of items, and the large value of a silver ingot, an ingot would need to be broken up into various pieces called hack silver[2] in order to be the exact value determined by both the Viking buyer and the seller.[3]
Because this ingot was found very far inland in a fractured state, it could have been used by many a trader in many a location before it found its way all the way along the border of England and Wales. It’s difficult to make assumptions about the ingot’s exact life (other than trade), but it was found deep inland in the heart of England near Wales. This combined with the fact that the Norse only made it very far inland when a large invasion force wanted to settle, like the Great Army, means that the ingot probably exchanged hands between many Viking and English traders before it was finally lost or left in the ground.
