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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Hrefn, post: 8165232, member: 115171&quot;]Most excavated coins have been melted.&nbsp; Most struck coins have been circulated to a frazzle, lost, mutilated, or recoined.&nbsp;&nbsp; A few nobles, prelates and wealthy persons throughout history could afford to preserve, collect, and study these tokens of the past. </p><p>We owe the survival of ancient coins to the development of a market for them, which accords them a value above their bullion value.&nbsp; The discoverer of a hoard makes more money selling the discovery as coins than as bullion, so nowadays the coins are preserved.&nbsp; A lively international numismatic trade assures their survival. </p><p><br /></p><p>It is anyone’s guess as to the percentage of excavated precious metal coins, and bronzes, discovered before 1800 went straight to the melting pot.&nbsp; I would bet it was about 99%.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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