Meaning of hacksilver | Babel Free

Definitions

Silver objects that have been cut up or otherwise defaced and circulated as currency, especially in archaeological contexts.

historical, uncountable, usually

Examples

“Tenth-century hoards still consist⟳ mainly of coins from Central Asia, but with variable amounts of hacksilver. The latter consists of whole and cut⟳ coins, whole and broken ornaments and ingots (both of bar form⟳ and flat 'spills' of molten metal).”

“The non-numismatic elements of Class 4 and 5 hoards, which for the purposes of this paper are dealt with together, comprise, respectively, finds containing hacksilver with complete⟳ ingots and/or ornaments and finds consisting exclusively of hacksilver.”

“Hacksilver, for instance (silver plate cut⟳ up and circulated for its monetary value) is well-studied as a late antique phenomenon, and has most recently been the subject of a major new study⟳ associated with the re-publication of the Traprain Law treasure, a hoard of Late Roman hacksilver found at a hill-fort site in Scotland.”

CEFR level