There are many different types of hoards; two common categorizations are the “savings” hoard and the “emergency” hoard. A “savings” hoard is created by gradually accumulating coins over a period of time. The coins in such a hoard tend to be of high denomination, in good condition and covering a wide range of dates. Such a hoard is concealed for safety, and if the owner dies suddenly, the hoard is left buried for future generations to discover. An “emergency” hoard typically represents the coins the owner was able to gather and hide when under threat of robbery or looting, and it thus reflects the proportions of current coin types. Occurrences of such hoards can frequently be related to periods of disruption and upheaval, like the Bar-Kokhba War, that prevented the owners from returning to recover their possessions. The long life-span of Hoard B and Hoard C may indicate that they were initially “savings” hoards, but due to the vexed times, they were taken away to the cave and hidden, and therefore they turned into “emergency” hoards.
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