In which I investigate whether a series of ninth-century coin finds can tell us anything about the distribution of power centres in early medieval Moray
I absolutely love reading posts like this that explore possibilities rooted in what available evidence we have--and the connection between the stone and treasure/gift giving/hoards is a great line to think through.
Burghead: the unperforated Northumbrian coins are both copper-alloy stycas - and not silver pennies like the perforated ones - so they do indeed have a different 'cachet'. As for the silver horn-mount, it's not possible to conclude that this is definitely from a 'blast-horn' - but it certainly does not have to have been part of a drinking-horn (although that remains a possibility).
A word of caution: you refer to the 'Trichinopoly' chain fragment in the Croy hoard as a 'silver mesh ribbon in the Anglo-Saxon Trewhiddle style', but the 'Trewhiddle style' only applies to decoration in a distinctive style of (mainly animal) ornament - and this has none - so not for a type of object. You also refer to it as having 'a distinctly Anglo-Saxon footprint', whereas the only definite example that I know of from an Anglo-Saxon context is the scourge in the Trewhiddle hoard itself. It may very well be of Irish manufacture, and in my Cuerdale volume (available online), I conclude that it is 'safer just to characterise these as being of 'Insular' origin' (p. 128; discussion on p. 123). Another note to follow!
Could it also be possible that the coins were plunder of some sort and worn as a status symbol?
I absolutely love reading posts like this that explore possibilities rooted in what available evidence we have--and the connection between the stone and treasure/gift giving/hoards is a great line to think through.
Burghead: the unperforated Northumbrian coins are both copper-alloy stycas - and not silver pennies like the perforated ones - so they do indeed have a different 'cachet'. As for the silver horn-mount, it's not possible to conclude that this is definitely from a 'blast-horn' - but it certainly does not have to have been part of a drinking-horn (although that remains a possibility).
A word of caution: you refer to the 'Trichinopoly' chain fragment in the Croy hoard as a 'silver mesh ribbon in the Anglo-Saxon Trewhiddle style', but the 'Trewhiddle style' only applies to decoration in a distinctive style of (mainly animal) ornament - and this has none - so not for a type of object. You also refer to it as having 'a distinctly Anglo-Saxon footprint', whereas the only definite example that I know of from an Anglo-Saxon context is the scourge in the Trewhiddle hoard itself. It may very well be of Irish manufacture, and in my Cuerdale volume (available online), I conclude that it is 'safer just to characterise these as being of 'Insular' origin' (p. 128; discussion on p. 123). Another note to follow!
Excellent and thought provoking.