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Coin (Obverse), a dirham of Nasr Il Ben Ahmad

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From Storr Rock, Skye

Coin (Obverse), a dirham of Nasr Il Ben Ahmad
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This silver coin is part of a hoard of hacksilver and Anglo-Saxon and Arabic coins buried at Storr Rock in Skye around 935 to 940. The mixture of coins from far-flung areas and silver bullion indicates that the hoard belonged to a Viking trader or settler.

The dirham was minted for Nasr II ben Ahmad, an Arabic ruler, in 921 or 922, but was over 20 years old when buried in the hoard.

The Arabic empire had vast resources of silver. Some of this wealth came to Europe via the Viking trading routes, through Russia and across the Baltic. The Scandinavians treated the coins as they did all silver: valuing it only for its bullion weight.

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