Description
“Where documentrary mentions are lacking, and to some extent even where they available, the only way of knowing what sort of coinage was in use in a particular region is to study the finds of coins from the soil of that region. Hoards accidentally brought to light; material recovered during archaeological excavation; stray finds of single coins: these are essential basis for a history of the currency – and, by extension, for a monetary history…They are not ideal…There are aspectsof monetary history that can be deduced from the coins only with difficulty, or not at all.” – D.M. Metcalf
