Punch intended? The punch marks on the Republican and early imperial denarii found in hoards in the Netherlands

Abstract

This paper delves into the presence of punch marks on Republican and early imperial denarii by analysing punched denarii deposited in coin hoards found throughout the Netherlands. Through this research strategy, this paper categorizes and then assesses these punches by coin type, total number of punched denarii per hoard, the punch’s placing on coins, the average number per coin type, and by their appearance. Through implementing these various research analyses, the processed data suggests three possible, not mutually exclusive, aims for administering punch marks: either for testing, for authorising and for administrative purposes.