|
Date: |
|
Description: | Lead Viking weight dating from the late 9th - early 10th century. The weight is circular with a flat base and top; the sides taper slightly from the base to the top giving an overall truncated conical shape. The weight has a copper decorated flat copper alloy mount in the top surface known as a single strike Pressbletch mount. The mount has approximately a quarter missing where it has either worn or broken away. The mount is very thin and may have been pressed over a pre-moulded surface on the weight. The decoration is quite worn and difficult to make out but appears to be an interlace design (possibly Irish?). These weights were probably used for important transactions based on a recognisable weight-system - it has been suggested that they were used as bullion weights.The mass of the weight is 137.7g. It is thought that the Vikings used a system based on multiples of a unit of 12.5g so this weight would be approximately 11 units. It measures 33.77mm in diameter and 20.2mm in thickness. A number of similar examples can be seen in Nigel Mills 'Saxon and Viking Artefacts' page 85, Fig. V238 & V239.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
WEIGHT
Lead Viking weight dating from…
-
Weight
Lead Viking weight dating from…
-
WEIGHT
Lead weight. Cast discoid weight,…
-
WEIGHT
Lead weight. Cast cylindrical or…
-
-
WEIGHT
Lead weight. Cast conical weight…
-
WEIGHT
Lead weight. Cast discoid weight.…
-
INGOT
Treasure Case 2005 T83British Museum…
-
WEIGHT
An early-medieval barrel-shaped weight perhaps…
-
WEIGHT
Lead weight. Cast flat weight…
|