Northern and Western Europe, Viking to Medieval period, ca. 9th to 13th century CE. A collection of 6 high quality 90% silver ingots used for trade throughout Viking and Medieval ages. The bars are elongated with flattened faces and sides. The 2 petite ingots were likely made by melting worked silver into a bar or rod, then dividing into sections. The Vikings had a bullion system based largely on silver where the purity and weight of the silver determined wealth, rather than relying on the face value of minted coins. Examples of Viking trade ingots are usually cigar-shaped with parallel sides and rounded tips, as exemplified by several in this collection. The chips and nicks on ingots were often the result of checking for plating or silver finesse by measuring how hard or soft the bar was to ensure the silver purity. During medieval times the ingot system was often used in conjunction with minted coinage. Size of longest: 2.75" L x 0.35" W (7 cm x 0.9 cm); shortest: 0.7" L x 0.25" W (1.8 cm x 0.6 cm); silver quality: 90%; total weight: 93.3 grams

Provenance: private Carmichael, California, USA collection, acquired in the 1990s

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#167437

Surface wear as expected with age including nicks and pitting. Dark toning and patina on all.