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20
July 1999
On
Sunday 16th July 1999 the most sensational hoard discovery of the 20th century
was made at Spillings in Othem Parish in Sweden.
It
turned out to be the largest preserved Viking Age hoard in the world, and had
been deposited in two caches situated three metres apart and weighing a grand
total of 65 kilos!
The
components of the hoard – or rather hoards – are all considered to be
nothing other than a medium of exchange. Several of the artefacts would seem to
have originated from Scandinavian regions, but even objects from Ireland in the
West to Russia in the East can be traced in the silver hoards. Much of the
material has been grouped into units of equal weight. Both the hoards also
include 12 000 – 13 000 coins, the majority of which are Persian and Islamic.
The coins span a period of just over two centuries, from the 7th century Sasanid
Empire of Iran to the 9th century Abbasid dynasties. The most recent coin dates
from 866-867, which is also the preliminary TPQ of the hoard. Two coins are
so-called Hedeby coins, minted in about 825 in the town Hedeby, then situated in
Schleswig-Holstein.
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