Viking Silver in Yorkshire

One day, David and Andrew Whelan were sweeping their metal detectors on a muddy field in Yorkshire, England, hunting for treasure. It was not a fruitful day as they had only managed to find a few old and rusty buttons. Tired and weary, they were about to call it a day but nonchalantly decided to give it one last shot.

As they went on with their final attempt, they got a signal on their metal detector. It led them to the discovery of an ancient coin, which would have been a satisfactory yield for a day's work. Sensing that a greater treasure might be buried at the site of the discovery, father and son continued digging, and soon, they uncovered a valuable silver and gold treasure that once belonged to a Viking nobleman.

The treasure consisted of 617 silver coins, a gilt and silver cup, an arm ring made of solid gold, brooch pins, and lumps of silver ores. It is considered the biggest and most important Viking treasure to be discovered in England in the last 150 years, estimated to be worth 750,000 pounds. The treasure gave historians some new understanding of the Vikings' way of life as well as their travels to foreign lands.

According to scholars, the silver cup was made in the 9th century in the northern part of France, and it might have been used in a church. The cup is 5 inches tall with animal motifs. The silver coins can be traced back to the 10th century, originating from different parts of England and Asia, showing the great extent of the Vikings' foreign connections. One of the gold necklaces reveals that the treasure was owned by a Viking nobleman. It is believed that the hoard had been acquired through looting or trading. The treasure was probably buried for safekeeping in 927AD, when the English were driving the Vikings out of Northern England.

Half of the value of the treasure is expected to go to the Whelans while the other half will go to the owner of the Yorkshire farm where the treasure was found. That's quite a windfall. Unfortunately, the original owner of the silver hoard would get nothing. Be smarter. Don't wait forever to sell your silver. Why delay when you can get instant cash for silver from a top silver buyer. Get the best rates for silver today!