A hoard of coins and several fragments of a large silver ring divided into parts were found on the basis of Meng. The artifacts date back to the time of the Vikings, the most interesting are 87 coins. They were stumbled upon by a former police officer, Kat Giles, who has been searching for artifacts in recent years.
The coins were minted in the period from 990 to 1030 on the territory of England, Ireland, Germany, as well as on the Isle of Man itself. They depict portraits of several European rulers: kings Cnut and Ethelred II, as well as the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. Judging by the dating of the coins, the treasure was hidden in the 1030s. This is a kind of analogue of a modern wallet, filled with different currencies, which are prepared before traveling to other countries. The find is a good illustration of the coins of which countries the inhabitants of the island had access to at that time.
Pieces of silver, similar to those found in the treasure, were often used during international trade. It was a universal currency, since buyers paid attention primarily to the material and its weight. The finds were exhibited in the Viking gallery at the Isle of Man Museum, later they will be sent to specialists to assess the value.
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Photo © www.thehistoryblog.com