ABSTRACT
During the period between c. 850 and 1050/1150, huge quantities of silver were imported to Scandinavia through long-distance trade. The presence of this precious material and, in certain regions, the resulting affluence had various effects on the fabric of society. Silver created new opportunities for articulating richness, belonging, and identity but also provided a material way of expressing leadership and hierarchy and thereby social distance. The capacity of silver as a both movable and durable resource is discussed in this contribution, as well as the way in which the introduction of coins as a means of payment and value influenced and transformed the elite.
