ABSTRACT
Absolute numbers of coin finds thus require wary treatment, although dramatic differences between areas and periods certainly call for attention. It is generally more fruitful to look at the composition of coin finds in terms of percentages. The pattern of the contents of hoards and site finds may be compared to others from the same region to detect anomalies, and may then be considered in their own right, or contrasted with the patterns in other regions. It is not difficult to see the historical interest in this. If, for example, a significant proportion of coins found in a region were struck elsewhere, it is clearly worth asking how they got there.
