The Cuerdale Hoard was discovered by workmen on the banks of the river Ribble near Preston, Lancashire on May 15th, 1840.  Consisting of around a 1,000 ozs of silver ingots and over 7,000 coins, it is still today the largest hoard of Viking silver ever found in the British Isles, and the largest in Europe outside of Russia. The majority of the hoard was seized by the landowner's bailiff; the laborers were allowed to retain one coin each for themselves. It was declared Treasure Trove at an inquest on 15 August 1840, the property of Queen Victoria in right of her Duchy of Lancaster; the Duchy then passed it to the British Museum for examination prior to its distribution to over 170 recipients. The lion's share, however, was allocated to the British Museum. The coinage of the Viking kingdom of York during this period is almost unknown outside of this find.

Buried in a lead chest around A.D. 905 - 910, the coins reflected the trading and cultural contacts of the Vikings who once owned the treasure. In addition to c.5000 newly minted coins of the Viking Kingdoms of York and East Anglia, there were c.1000 Anglo-Saxon issues, c.1000 Carolingian issues and a handful of Kufic, early Scandinavian and 1 Byzantine one.

The reasons for it's burial and moreover it's non-recovery will never be exactly known. However, its find spot may provide the best clue. Cuerdale is located at the start of an overland route from York to the Irish Sea and from there on to Dublin. We know from historical sources that the Vikings were expelled from Dublin A.D. 902 and it has been speculated that was deposited during their flight and subsequently not recovered. Whatever the exact reason there is a strong Irish dimension to the hoard from both its location and from some of the silver jewelry in the hoard.

H3264 - Viking Kingdom of York, "Hunedeus and Cnut", 'Cunetti' Group (c.895-902), Penny, 1.31g., York mint, small cross with pellet in 2nd and 3rd angle, +CVNETTI around, rev., CR T EN (Cnut Rex) around patriarchal cross, with a pellet in angle of the smaller cross, (N.501; S.993), distinctive Cuerdale toning, almost extremely fine. $995

Provenance:
Most probably from the Cuerdale Hoard (Lancashire, 1840).

H3265 - Viking Kingdom of York, "Hunedeus and Cnut", 'Cunetti' Group (c.895-902), Penny, 1.34g., York mint, CR T EN (Cnut Rex) around cross pattee, rev., small cross, +ERAICA CVITA (retrograde) around , (N.497; S.987), distinctive Cuerdale toning, rare mint signed issue, extremely fine. $995 SOLD

H3120 - Viking Kingdom of York, "Hunedeus and Cnut", 'Cunetti' Group (c.895-902), Penny, 1.42g., York mint, small cross with pellet in 2nd and 3rd angle, +CVNETTI around, rev., CR T EN (Cnut Rex) around patriarchal cross, with a pellet in angle of the smaller cross, (N.501; S.993), distinctive Cuerdale toning, almost extremely fine. $1195

Provenance

Ex Geashill Hoard, Co. Offally, Ireland, discovered c.1862 (A. H. Baldwin stock ticket in the hand of Michael Sharp)

 

The Geashill Hoard of York Viking pennies, see Dolley, Michael, "An unpublished Hoard of St. Peter Pence'. Numismatic Chronicle, 1957, pp.123-32.

H3008 - ENGLAND, VIKING, DANELAW, coin weight, 18 mm, 18.45g., late 9th century, lead drum shape with an Anglo-Saxon, Northumbrian styca at each end, first coin: obverse of Eanred (810-840), +EANRED REX around a pellet in annulet, (retrograde), second coin: reverse of the moneyer,  Monne, +MONNE around a pellet, intact with no damage, good metal, possibly unpublished with two coins, extremely rare and interesting. $1995

Williams* in his study of Anglo-Saxon and Viking coin weights, attributes weights containing Northumbrian stycas to the Vikings of the newly conquered Danelaw. This example would appear to correlate to the Viking weight standards of two ertugar or two-thirds of a eyrir. The Vikings appear to have rejected the base metal Northumbrian styca in favor of the broad flan silver penny. This did not however stop them from using the readily available demonetized styca as a decorative item on their weights.

*Williams, Gareth, Anglo-Saxon and Viking Coin Weights, BNJ (69), 1999, pp 19-36.