From the start of minting in the 7th century BC up to the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in the 1970s, the value of money was always covered by precious metals. Not least the coins themselves were often supposed to consist of a quantity of precious metal, whose value ideally would equal the coin’s face value.

This meant that in principle, coins were unlimited negotiable, both spatially and temporally. Over the centuries, rulers tried more or less successfully to restrict the use of coin in their realms to their own coinage. Besides economic contexts, coin finds, therefore, always reflect the development of political power, too.

As coins would circulate without regard of borders most of the time, the documentation of coin finds should not be limited to current nation-states. Rather, it should be conducted in international collaboration. This is the reason why this website aims to promote international collaboration on the recording of coin finds.