The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

500 SIR ARTHUR EVANS.
These abundant discoveries of hoards of silver coins
belonging to the latest period of Roman rule in
Britain are the more remarkable in contrast with the
paucity of such discoveries in the Continental parts
of the Empire. Mr. Hill, in referring to this group of
finds in his account of the Grovely "Wood find in
1906, was only able to cite two foreign hoards of
the same kind. 109
One, consisting of siliquae, which is
said to have been derived from " some unknown place on
the Lower Danube", has been described by Missong; 110
the other, comprising
not more than a dozen similar
111
pieces, is from Cazeres-sur-1'Adour.
How then are we to account for the singular limitation
of such discoveries of hoards of late Roman
silver coins to Britain a limitation also largely shared
by similar hoards of gold coins ? And how particularly
are we to explain their most frequent occurrence in a
comparatively poor part of our West country the wolds
and marsh-lands of the Mendip district of Somerset?
The problem has puzzled both numismatists and
historians.
It does not seem unreasonable, however, to connect
these signs of well-being, and especially of the abun-
dant circulation of a silver coinage, with the continued
activity of the silver-mining industry in the Mendip
district. It may indeed be suggested that important
Treasury officials took over the crude or partially
one in Wilts. (Grovely Wood) all these more or less in the West
of England. Two have been found in Norfolk, while one (referred
to below) is from Coleraine in Ireland. (Cp. G. F. Hill, Num.
Chron., 1906, p. 338.)
d Num. Chron., 1906, pp. 338, 339.
110 In Wiener Numismatische Monatshefte, 1868.
111 Bull, de Num., 1895, p. 23.