washed over the Nordic countries, became common in south-western Finland. The
coins, like chopped silver and silver scraps, were used as currency in trading since an
actual monetary system did not yet exist. The coins were often cut into pieces, which
indicates that their value was based on weight. The scales and weights that start to
appear in archaeological finds from the beginning of the Viking Age onwards clearly
relate to commerce and the influx of silver.
Figure 35. 1 Convex round shoulder brooches and other ornaments characteristic of women’s dress in
western Finland during the Viking Age. Grave no. 56 , Luistari cemetery in Eura, Satakunta. (Photo:
National Board of Antiquities/Ritva Backman 1990. Copyright © National Museum of Finland.)
–– Torsten Edgren––