These material and ideological aspects were related to patterns of deposition in religious contexts and to detailed numismatic evidence, drawing on cases of coins from different historical, geographical and numismatic contexts. The session was organized by Nanouschka M. Burström, Svein H. Gullbekk and Gitte T. Ingvardson from the research programme “Religion and Money: the economy of salvation”.
The topics of the papers ranged from present-day practices of offering coins by embedding them into tree trunks, via Early Modern copper coin offerings in churches and folded Medieval coins in the fields, to ‘exotic’ coins in Viking Age grave coins, coins deposited in baptismal fonts in Late Antiquity, and counterfeit coins on Roman temple sites, to name a few. The speakers likewise came from many different fields of archaeology, history and numismatics. An introduction to the session was given by Nanouschka M. Burström, underlining the importance of combining the multiple sources (archaeological, written and in imagery) there are to religious and ritual use of coins, but in particular how the material record can complete our knowledge of the where, when and how of these practices, by investigating the physical context of the coin used. The session included plenty of discussion with the audience, skilfully directed by Gitte T. Ingvardson, and a concluding remark was given by David Wigg-Wolf, putting the themes and papers of the round table into a perspective out from his research on coin deposition in Late Iron Age and Early Imperial period in Northern Gaul.
The thoughts and cases brought up by the speakers were rich and manifold, but some common themes could be traced. Rituals, practice and the reasons for offering were obviously a general concern, given the topic of the round table. Many fascinating cases were brought to the fore, underlining the diversity of practices over space and time, but also, that the practice recurs and that coins insist on attracting ritual behaviour. Much attention was also given to the seemingly conflicting connotations attached to coins as economic objects or as divine mediators – how come, that money and coins are used for religious purposes, while at the same time often being regarded as practical or even morally corrupting? The concept of value, and the fact that many offered coins are of low denominations or less precious metals, was also discussed in several papers. Finally should be mentioned the topic of individuality, who the person offering was (specifically or in a general sense), and how the individual related to overall practices.
The extended papers will be published as part of the forthcoming volume ‘Divina Moneta - Coins in Religion and Ritual’ (eds. N.M. Burström and G.T. Ingvardson) in the series ‘Religion and Money in the Middle Ages’ (Ashgate) in 2016.
For programme Divina Montea with abstract see here.