Date: c. AD 900 – 1050

Photo source: PAS Database, Item ID (BH-720251)

Description:

Viking Gold Trade Ingot, 10th-11th century AD – a rectangular-section ingot of gold with irregular ends.

• Weight: 23.47 grams
• Length: 30mm (approx. 1 inch)
• Metal content
  • Gold ~ approx. 67-69%
  • Silver ~ approx. 29-31%
  • Copper ~ approx. 2%

Country:

• Ireland + Hiberno-Norse Northumbria

Category:

• Viking
  • Proto-Currency
    • Gold Trading Ingot

Additional Information:

Some twenty gold ingots have been recorded from Britain and Ireland and, although many of them are single stray metal-detected finds, a number of them are doubtless of the Viking period (J. Graham-Campbell, 2011, The Cuerdale Hoard and related Viking-Age silver and gold from Britain and Ireland in the British Museum, London, British Museum Press, p. 84.

The ingot illustrated above is from Preston Capes (an area of Hiberno-Norse influence in the north of England) and is typical of those attributed to the Viking-age, i.e.

• It is a cigar-shaped form
• It has also been hammered prior to cutting (another Viking characteristic)

Coin-dated hoards from Ireland containing ingots or ingot-fragments

(dating from before 1000 AD (after Sheehan, 1998)

• 905–06
  • Millockstown, Co Louth
• c. 907
  • Dysart Island (n 4), Co Westmeath
• c. 910?
  • Co Antrim
• c. 910
  • Magheralagan, Co Down
• c. 915
  • Leggagh, Co Meath
• c. 928
  • Dunmore Cave (no 1), Co Kilkenny
• c. 935
  • Co Dublin
• c. 953
  • Monasterboice, Co Louth
• c. 953
  • Mungret, Co Limerick
• c. 970
  • Killincoole, Co Louth
• c. 970
  • Kilkenny West, Co Westmeath
• c.970?
  • Rahan (no 2), Co Offaly
• 970s
  • Dunmore Cave (no 2), Co Kilkenny
• c. 895
  • Ladestown, Co Westmeath
• c. 986
  • Marl Valley, Co Westmeath