From Valhalla to Damascus: The Viking Obsession with Arab-Islamic Silver Coins

By: House of Emirates

London – UK

When most people think of Viking treasures, images of golden hoards, dragon-headed ships, and Norse gods come to mind. But what if the real secret to understanding Viking wealth lies not in their own creations, but in a foreign currency minted thousands of kilometres away — the Arab silver dirham?

Over the past century, archaeologists have uncovered tens of thousands of Arab silver coins, known as dirhams, scattered throughout Scandinavia — particularly in Sweden, but also in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Åland Islands and the Baltic regions. These coins, minted in Islamic caliphates between the 8th and 11th centuries, paint a surprising picture of ancient globalization, trade, and cultural exchange between two seemingly distant civilizations: the Vikings and the Islamic world.

What Are Arab Dirhams?

Dirhams were silver coins widely used in the Islamic world from the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates onward. With inscriptions in Arabic — usually verses from the Qur’an, the name of the caliph, and the place and date of minting — these coins served as a reliable and standardized currency across vast regions from Spain to Central Asia.

What made them so valuable to outsiders was not just their purity (often 90–95% silver) but also their consistency and reputation. For Viking traders, these coins were a form of portable silver wealth — ideal for bartering, hoarding, or melting down into jewellery and ingots.

How Did Arab Coins End Up in Scandinavia?

The discovery of these silver dirhams in Northern Europe is no accident. During the Viking Age (circa 800–1050 AD), Scandinavian warriors and merchants embarked on far-reaching voyages — not just westward to raid the British Isles, but eastward into what is now Russia and beyond.

Using rivers like the Volga and Dnieper as trade routes, the Vikings (especially the Swedish “Rus”) established extensive networks with Slavic tribes and eventually reached the Islamic world. Arab traders, in turn, sought furs, slaves, amber, and other Nordic goods. The result was a mutually beneficial exchange — Arab silver for Viking resources.

Evidence in the Ground

More than 100,000 Arab dirhams have been discovered in Scandinavian hoards. Some notable examples include:

The Spillings Hoard (Sweden, 1999): This is the largest Viking-era silver hoard ever found, with over 14,000 silver coins — the vast majority being Arab dirhams, including coins from as far as Persia and North Africa.

Gotland: This Swedish Island alone has yielded more than 70,000 Arab dirhams, making it one of the richest archaeological sites for Viking-Age Islamic silver.

Finland and the Baltic: Coins have also been found in graves and settlements, revealing how widespread this trade was.

Interestingly, many of the dirhams found in Scandinavia were cut into pieces. This wasn’t vandalism — it was a deliberate act. The Vikings operated on a bullion economy, where silver was valued by weight rather than face value. A coin’s inscription meant less than its metal content. So they cut and weighed the silver to suit their needs — essentially using it as currency in a barter-based system.

What Do the Coins Tell Us?

The coins offer more than economic insights — they reveal a history of cultural contact. Despite vast religious and linguistic differences, the Vikings and Islamic merchants managed to engage in peaceful and regular trade. This challenges the old narrative of Vikings as mere raiders. They were also skilled navigators, diplomats, and traders.

Some dirhams even carry graffiti in runes or personal marks by their Viking owners, blending two scripts and worlds on a single piece of silver. These coins, now in museums and private collections, are physical proof of the interconnectedness of the early medieval world.

The Flow of Silver

The height of dirham influx into Scandinavia occurred between 800 and 950 AD, coinciding with the peak of Viking expansion. However, by the late 10th century, the flow began to dry up. The reasons were both economic and political: instability in the Abbasid Caliphate, shifts in trade routes, and the rise of new currencies closer to home. Eventually, local Scandinavian coin production increased, reducing reliance on foreign silver.

Yet the legacy of these Arab coins remains. They helped fuel the Viking economy, influenced local silver working traditions, and became treasured heirlooms buried with the dead or hoarded for protection. The presence of Arab silver in Viking lands is a reminder that globalization is not a new phenomenon. Even in the so-called Dark Ages, distant civilizations were linked by trade, curiosity, and necessity. A dirham minted in Baghdad or Samarkand might travel over 5,000 kilometres, passing through hands of traders, warriors, and chieftains before ending up in a Scandinavian burial mound.

In today’s world, where cross-cultural tensions sometimes overshadow shared histories, the story of the dirham is a powerful symbol. It shows that even in ancient times, cooperation, commerce, and curiosity connected people across continents — from the bazaars of the Abbasid Caliphate to the fjords of Scandinavia.