The Romance of Silver

When you are giving a gift of silver to someone special, do you take some time to think about why you have chosen this precious metal? Probably not! Nowadays, people are too busy to ponder on these things. Nevertheless, you have made a good and wonderful choice because silver is a most romantic metal.

Go back to the times of the Romans. If all roads lead to Rome, then those roads must be paved with silver. The Romans have produced some of the most beautiful and mystifying silver items ever seen. Who will not be enthralled by the Great Hunting, Achilles, and Meleager Plates from the Sevso Treasure? What about the Great Plate of Bacchus from the Mildenhall Treasure? The meticulous craftsmanship and the size of these plates offer a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the Romans. Imagine the feasts that were served on those dishes! How about the Roman silver spoons found at Hoxne in Britain or the silver vessels from the Berthouville Treasure?

Think about the Vikings. These great conquerors were extremely fond of silver. Judging from the number of Viking hoards discovered in Sweden, England, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, and France, they must have amassed a lot of silver. Other than using silver for trade, the Vikings had a peculiar practice of burying their silver.  Apparently, they did this to gain entry into Odin's hall, Valhalla, which is the Norse heaven for the souls of the mightiest of Viking warriors. It made sense then that the greater the warrior, the more silver he should bury. Some of these items included silver coins, silver ingots, and silver jewelry. Only Odin knows how many much more Viking silver remains in the ground. Those that have been discovered are exhibited in various museums in Europe.

When the Persians campaigned against the Greeks, the Athenians issued a lot of silver tetradrachma to build the strongest naval force in the region. This turn of events allowed the Athenians to preserve Athenian democracy. Without the discovery of rich silver deposits in Attica, Athens would have most likely fallen under Persian rule and Western civilization as we know it would be very much different today.

Not only was silver the food of the Romans and the heaven of the Vikings, but it represented the freedom of the Athenians. Now, that is one romantic metal, isn't it? No wonder it's so precious. If you want to enjoy the best rates for silver, you should contact a trusted silver buyer. Get instant cash for silver today!