The regularities of coin accumulation and coin circulation based on settlement materials in Pannonia

In: Posluschny, A. ; Lambers, K. ; Herzog, I. (Hrsgg.): Layers of Perception. Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), Berlin, 2.-6. April, 2007 (Koll. Vor- u. Frühgesch. 10). Bonn 2008 376 (Abstract)

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Abstract

Hoards are snapshots of coin circulation at the time of their burial. The histogram, which shows the frequency of these coins according to the minting date, captures certain regularities of the accumulation. We turn to the experience gained from the examination of hoards when we want to characterize the coin circulation of a whole settlement through the centuries. Based on these results we have examined settlement materials in connection with the West-Pannonian municipium of Salla. When studying the coin circulation of this town we have taken into consideration the quantity of coins, the estimated life-time that the coin spends in circulation, and the date of minting which is usually a shorter or longer interval and rarely an exact year on the graph. Where each coin has the same weight, we get the yearly frequency of coins in circulation. The frequency graphs offer a possibility to characterize and compare different towns and areas historically.