3 Arabian coins, made into jewelry. One coin is a dirham from the Abbasid empire, from the time of Caliph Abu al-Abba as-Saffah (750-754 AD). The two others are also dirhams, from the Sassanid empire at the time of King Khusro II (590-628). The capital of the Abbasid empire was Baghdad. The Sassanids originally came from Persia and ruled the Middle East during the time of Mohammed. The Arabian coins point once more to a Scandinavian origin of the treasure, since the Vikings had had trade relations with the Middle East, via Russian rivers, since the 6th century. Arabian coins have been found in large numbers in Scandinavia, but have rarely been found elsewhere (see map). This was the first time that coins of this type had been found in the Netherlands. To date, only a small number more have been found. Including the 61 coins from the second treasure of Westerklief,  a mere 90 coins have been discovered in our country.

From the late 9th century to the 11th century, in the area between Friesland and Denmark, fibulas made from coins were quite common. Many have been found, particularly in Denmark.
 

Last updated: 19-3-2002