Silver

In Ancient Egypt, nearly all gold contained often a significant amount of silver, however pure silver could not be found in Egypt. Hence most so called silver objects that predate the Middle Kingdom are actually made from silver rich gold. From the Middle Kingdom, silver was imported, predominantly from the Greeks, and so, being twice its price, was actually considered more highly prized than gold. Despite this, silver artefacts are believed to have been more common in Ancient Egypt than surviving pieces would suggest given its susceptibility to corrosion. As seems universal, silver was linked with the moon and was also considered to be the stuff of the bones of the gods. Although used more sparingly than gold, silver was used in all manner of jewellery and small sculpture.

Browse our selection of silver antiquities, from ancient jewellery to collectable coins.