Hacksilver was a common form of silver among the Vikings, used during their raids and trade activities. The Romans are also believed to have used hacksilver in their interactions with the Pictish tribes.
Hacksilver in Antiquity
In the Achaemenid Levant, around 425-420 BCE, Eastern hacksilver was found, including jewelry and Greek coins. These were part of the Achaemenid coin circulation. The widespread acceptance of Greek silver coins around 480 BCE appears to have resulted from collaborations between the Greeks and Phoenicians. This occurred partly in response to the earlier expansion of the Phoenicians and their control over the silver trade, which often involved hacksilver.
In the Cisjordan Corpus, concentrations of hacksilver hoards have been discovered in Southern Phoenicia, a region associated in antiquity with the Shardana, a tribe of the Sea Peoples related to Sardinia. In her analysis of the hacksilver pieces, Thompson links this archaeological evidence to lead isotope ratios that match the ore signatures from Sardinia. This provides the first tangible evidence of a connection between these two areas during this significant period. Moreover, these hacksilver hoards offer the earliest recognized evidence of contact between Europe and Asia related to prehistoric metal trade.
Celtic Hacksilver
Torcs were evidently of great value and were often found in fragments, suggesting that they may have been used as a form of wealth storage. It has also been noted that the golden torcs from the Iberian region were crafted with fixed weights, which were multiples of the Phoenician shekel.
Viking Hacksilver
The term "ruble," the base value of the modern Russian currency, is derived from the Russian word рубить (rubit), which means "to chop" or "to cut." An example of a Viking scale with weights was found on the Scottish island of Gigha. Hacksilver could come from various silver objects, including Roman or Byzantine tableware, church treasures, relics, book covers, and jewelry from different regions. Hoards often consisted of a mix of hacksilver, coins, bars, and complete small jewelry items. Coins were also sometimes used as hacksilver.
Ibn Fadlan, a 10th-century Arab traveler and writer, described in his travel accounts the trading practices of the Rus’, a group of Vikings active along the Volga and in other parts of present-day Russia and Ukraine. In his account, he refers to the use of hacksilver by the Rus’, which served not only as a medium of exchange but also as a symbol of wealth. This practice highlighted their economic habits and social status.
Oath Rings & Torques
Arm rings and torques were frequently used as Viking hacksilver. These arm rings had significant symbolic value within Viking society. They were used as oath rings and were often given as gifts by rulers.