A hoard is a group of coins buried together, often hidden for safekeeping in times of danger and never recovered by its owner. Because all the coins were deposited at the same moment, hoards are especially valuable for dating and for understanding what money was circulating at a given time.
Ephesus minted coins for more than a thousand years. Its early silver coins carried the bee, the symbol of the city and of Artemis, and later issues show the city's temples, rulers and gods, so coins found at the site help date buildings and trace the city's trade and history.
