Rights Holder: Museum of London
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Unique ID: LON-579AB1
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A possible Early Medieval (Viking) gold ingot/hack gold, dated to the mid 9th to mid 11th Centuries, AD850-1050. The ingot is roughly sub-rectangular in shape with one end rounded and the other, flat. There is a flattened facet on the upper and lower edges towards the flat end. Along one side edge there are approximately 7 small, irregular, pointed spurs. The surface is mostly smooth but there are areas that are rough (bubbled appearance) and irregular.
Dimensions: length: 27.89mm; width: 7.50mm; thickness: 4.77mm; weight: 9.33g.
A similar object is recorded on the PAS database: DENO-938F91, 2012T108, although there was evidence of a smooth slice or hack that is not obvious on LON-579AB1. Gold ingots are traditionally difficult to date out of context but they are often attributed to a Viking date. The Vikings had a bullion economy where the purity and weight of the metal were more important than the form. Although this bullion economy primarily utilised silver it did also include gold.
As the ingot is more than 10% gold and more than 300 years old, it fulfils the requirements of the 1996 Treasure Act.
Subsequent action after recording: Submitted for consideration as Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2016T467
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Viking style
Date from: Circa AD 850
Date to: Circa AD 1050
Quantity: 1
Length: 27.89 mm
Width: 7.5 mm
Thickness: 4.77 mm
Weight: 9.33 g
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Treasure case number: 2016T467
Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Hand made
Completeness: Complete
4 Figure: TL5406
Four figure Latitude: 51.73156421
Four figure longitude: 0.22859613
1:25K map: TL5406
1:10K map: TL50NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.