[Adam S.]

I'd say well hidden indeed, if it took several centuries to find.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8225332.stm?ls

[Russ Ellis]

Fascinating, so the clip mentions that Britain purchased the find from the finder for about a million pounds half of which goes to the finder. Who gets the other half? The owner of the land? Taxes?

[Jeroen Zuiderwijk]

[James R.Fox]

Sors- And Then the income tax guys take all of it

[Elling Polden]

A great persentage of viking age finds are loose finds, often made during plowing or other agricultural activity.
Of course, one can only imagine how much that was found and subsequently lost before the idea of museums caught on...
The largest hoard found in Norway contained about 2.5 kg of pure gold, at a present day metal value of 77 000$

In the viking world, coin had no special value; The only thing that mattered was the weight of the metal.
As such it would not be unusual to melt down all the silver after an expedition, and turn it into silver string, which was subsequently worn as bracelets, arm or neck rings. Some of these have later been made into more ornate versions, but crude versions of one or two thick silver strings are also common. The same was done with gold. However, gold was 20 times more expensive than silver, so you would be very rich in deed to own gold jewlery. However, the above mentioned hoard looks like it was the jewlery of a single woman.
There was filthy rich people then as now.