9th-11th century AD. An elliptical Anglo-Scandinavian lead weight into the upper surface of which has been impressed a portion of Roman terra sigillata pottery. See Kruse, S. Trade and Exchange Across Frontiers in Graham-Campbell, J. & Williams, G. (eds.) Silver Economy in the Viking Age, Walnut Creek, 2007. 60 grams, 31mm (1 1/4"). Found North East England. The weight was probably produced in England, re-using a curated fragment of Roman pottery. The Viking weight system appears to have been based on the Byzantine model, and used Byzantine forms of weight in some places, but there were also local standards in, for example, Dublin which could vary by 10% or more from the wider system. Without a central authority to impose uniformity, it is likely that the Scandinavian weight system represents a trend towards standardization from diverse beginnings. (This subject is dealt with by Kruse in the reference below.) The present piece is a rare variant of the 'embedded-metalwork' form of weight. [No Reserve]