By G. F. Hill. 127 



conclude that the hoard was deposited, or that its owner ceased 

 adding to it, in or soon after 395 a.d. This would leave time for 

 him to acquire a certain number of the bronze coins of Honorius, 

 which were apparently present in his other hoard. 



It is disappointing to find that the hoard contained no pieces of 

 Magnus Maximus with the mint-mark avgpS or avg,^ 



The only two known silver coins, with this form of the London 

 mint-mark, come from the West of England hoard mentioned 

 above, and are, owing to the generosity of Sir John Evans, now in 

 the National Collection. 



The Weights of the Siliquac. Missong calculated the average 

 weight of the 105 siliquae in his hoard (from Constantius II to 

 Gratian) at 1-838 gramme (28*36 grains). The lightest coin in 

 his hoard was a Valens of 1-38 gramme (21-30 grains); the heaviest, 

 a Jovian of 2-27 grammes (35-03 grains). It will be seen that his 

 average is nearly identical with the mean between the heaviest 

 and lightest (1-825 gramme = 28-16 grains). The highest weight 

 in the Grovely Wood hoard is 2-66 grammes (41 grains), the lowest 

 1-04 gramme (16 grains). The mean of these is 1-85 gramme 

 (28-55 grains). The average weight is 1-909 gramme (29-46 

 grains), which is again close to the mean, though not so close as 

 in the case of Missong's calculation. The general condition of the 

 coins is so good, that loss of weight by wear in circulation may be 

 neglected. 



If we suppose that at this time coins were merely struck at so 

 many to the pound, without much regard to their exact weight, 

 the average weight ought also to be the normal. Babelon, however 

 maintains- that the normal is represented neither by the average 

 nor by the mean, but by that weight which is attained by the 

 greatest number of the coins. In other words, if one constructs a 

 curve with the horizontals representing weights, let us say, of 1 

 grain troy, and the verticals the number of coins, the highest point 

 of the curve will represent the normal weight. I have constructed 



' See De Salis and Evans in Num. Chron. 1867, pp. 61 f., 329 f. 

 ■- Traite, i. 567, note 4. 



