"This is the first time since its discovery that the Silverdale Hoard has been displayed outside of Lancashire," Christine McDonnell, Head of Collections and Archives at the JORVIK Viking Centre, stated.
"With thousands of people coming to JORVIK every week to learn about the Vikings, we're extremely excited to be able to host this remarkable collection for the next 12 months."
The so-called Silverdale Hoard, buried in Lancashire around AD 900, was discovered in 2011 by a metal detectorist.
Several Viking-age hoards have been discovered along the route between the centers of Scandinavian power in Dublin and York, including the one found at Silverdale, the Jorvik Viking Centre points out in a press release.
Coin issued by Viking ruler Harthacnut
The treasure includes arm and finger rings, fragments of brooches, hack silver, ingots, and coins spanning the Viking world from Northumbria to Baghdad.
It also contains a single coin issued by a previously unknown Viking ruler in northern England named Harthacnut.
The hoard was placed in a lead container, and experts believe they were used as bullion.
"Items made of precious metals like silver would often be used as bullion currency. Hoards provide historians with a snapshot of society at the time they were hidden. This hoard, for example, features a coin minted in the name of Harthacnut – a ruler whose name was previously lost to history. Other coins show the broad connections of the Viking world, from Northumbria to Baghdad," McDonnell added.
Some of the key Silverdale Hoard artifacts, loaned by Lancashire County Museum Service, are now on display in dedicated cases in JORVIK’s artifacts gallery. The exhibition will remain standing until February 2023.
The famous York Helmet - discovered in 1982 - will also be on display in the gallery until March 10, on loan from the York Museums Trust.
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