Archive research
In order to be able to place find coins in a historical context, detailed research into the context of the find is necessary. The primary context relates to its actual intended use as a means of payment: WHO had a coin minted WHEN and WHERE and in what value? HOW was it made, WHO or WHAT is depicted on both sides and WHY?
The secondary context is called the object story. At what findspot and in what context was the coin recovered? A precise description of the findspot is also necessary to classify the find: Was it an individual find, a hoard/treasure find or a grave or consecration find?
Was the coin intentionally hidden or was it lost? Why was it deposited? Are there any traces of secondary use visible? The findspot also gives rise to conclusions about the boom and bust of the economy, about trade geography and settlement history, about power relations and religiosity, as well as about contemporary political events.
As part of source research, the assignment of the coins found to the place and context of the find is often uncertain, which is why we first evaluate the available information in order to confirm or correct whether it belongs to a complex of finds.
This requires a thorough examination of the documents in each individual case. Therefore, the existing information on the respective find coins in the museums and collections involved in our project is saved and analyzed in their acquisition files, collection lists, index cards and inventory books as well as correspondence, etc.
The local files available in the LDA often also provide information about the respective find complexes. Here, not only location information but also important information about the circumstances of the discovery can be extracted from discovery reports and excavation reports. In addition, a comparison is made with the find coin that have already been published in the relevant specialist literature.
The war and post-war period tore many collections apart and destroyed original structures and documentation due to removals, looting and devastation. Inventories were divided, sold and exchanged. Today, some find complexes are stored in different institutions, making complete documentation difficult.
Unfortunately, a complete findspot assignment for all find coins is not always successful. Coins whose findspot is questionable are still digitized because there is always the possibility of obtaining information about these find coins in other collections later.
Only a comprehensive recording of the coins found in a region with scientific numismatic classification and archaeological find context information enables precise and far-reaching scientific conclusions. In order to share the information obtained with the public and make it available to science for research purposes, the collected information including the image created by O.S.C.A.R. is finally published via KENOM.
