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LOT 1665
Viking Age Silver 'Currency' Ingot
CIRCA 9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D. OR LATER
1 1/4 in. (32 grams, 30 mm).
A hacked irregular hammered silver ingot, probably melted down loot creating a monetised piece of 'Hack' for Viking trade; X-ray Fluorescence analysis provides the following results: Ag (91.7%), Cu (4.09%), Fe (3.69%), Zn (0.19%), Au (0.19%), Pb (0.13%). [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx property of a UK gallery, early 2000s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Hårdh, B., Silver in the Viking Age. A Regional-Economic Study, Acta Archaeologica Lundensia no.25, Stockholm, 1996; Blackburn, M., Viking Coinage and Currency in the British Isles, London, 2011.
FootnotesIngots of gold and silver were regularly produced in the Early Medieval period when trade took place between monetised economies (Anglo-Saxon England, Francia, Frisia) and their non-monetised neighbours in southern Scandinavia (Blackburn, 2011). Ingots were a convenient means of storing wealth which could be converted into display items (weapon fittings, clothing fasteners, tableware) or used to gild silver and bronze items (Hårdh, 1996).
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Viking Bronze Valhalla Hall Emblem
9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Comprising a rectangular bar pierced at the centre with two crescents above, pierced crosses below and median D-shaped plaque with loops to the lower edge for attachment of dangles. 42 grams, 97 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Viking Age Bronze Twisted Bracelet with Flattened Terminals
9th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Two rods tightly twisted and curved into a penannular shape with tapering finials, the bracelet hammered flat on one side. 54 grams, 66 mm
From a Sussex, UK, private collection; acquired 1980s-1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Viking Age Bronze Ring with Cabochon
9th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising a slender hoop with oval bezel set with an amber-coloured glass cabochon in claw setting. 3.05 grams, 24.31 mm overall, 17.63 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O 1/2, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.61, Japan 15)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
