A Viking Age silver ingot discovered on the Isle of Man is set to go on display.

The 1,000 year old metal block weighs 10.53 grams and was found by metal detectorist John Smart.

During the Viking Age, silver ingots were often used in trade deals in place of numerous silver coins as payment for goods. 

And on Wednesday, the find was officially declared treasure by the Isle of Man’s Coroner of Inquests. 

Manx National Heritage (MNH) Curator for Archaeology Allison Fox said: ’Ingots like this were used in the Viking world for trade.

‘The ingots were weighed and tested to make sure of their silver content and they were used in part or in whole to buy whatever a Viking needed.

‘It was a cross-border currency. 

‘During the later Viking Age, ingots were used alongside coinage.

‘This ingot may only be a small artefact, but put into context, it helps illustrate how the Isle of Man was a part of the international Viking trade network 1000 years ago including how the Viking economy operated and where on the island trade was taking place.’

There is a legal requirement to report the finding of archaeological artefacts made on the Isle of Man to Manx National Heritage. 

If the artefacts fall under certain categories listed in the Treasure Act 2017, the find must also be reported to the Coroner of Inquests who then decides whether or not an artefact is declared ‘treasure’.

The ingot is the latest item of Viking treasure discovered on the Isle of Man, where more Viking Age silver has been found per square kilometre than England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. 

The Vikings arrived on the Isle of Man in the 800s, firstly trading and eventually settling

The latest Viking era ingot was analysed to determine silver content and whether the ingot would fall within the definition of treasure. 

With the assistance of Dr Nicola George, Research Technical Professional for the University of Liverpool, Manx National Heritage tested the ingot with both x-ray fluorescence and a scanning electron microscope.  

The results showed that the ingot is composed mostly of silver, and Manx National Heritage can now say with confidence that the ingot has a silver content of over 88%.

And according to experts, the artefact can help archaeologists understand how the Viking Age economy operated and where on the island such activity was taking place. 

Allison added: ‘Manx National Heritage are very grateful to both the finder and landowner for their assistance and support with this interesting find, and also to Dr George for enabling the scientific analysis’.

The ingot will go on display in the Viking and Medieval Gallery at the Manx Museum from Thursday, May 30.