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A Hellenistic Coin Hoard from BahrainAt the close of the 1969/70 excavation campaign on Bahrain, a pot was found containing Hellenistic silver coins. The excavator, Miss Else Roesdahl M.A., has kindly put the photograph fig. 1, which shows the pot in situ, at my disposal, together with the following description of the find context:"The pot containing the coins was found on 28th February, 1970, at the Qala'at al-Bahrain city mound in a thick occupation layer of sector 520. Around it were stones, possibly placed there as a support. The mouth was covered by a little bowl. Textile remains were found at the top of the pot. The pot lay below floor level in a partially excavated house of the same period as the occupation layer. The room in question was built onto the north face of the then disused north city-wall and opened onto a street passing through an opening in the old city-wall. The floor layer of the room was not clearly defined, but along several walls there was a 15 cm high plastered elevation. The pot was found when this elevation was demolished. lts connection with the building is uncertain, however, as no break in either the floor layer or the plastered elevation could be ascertained.The pot, its covering bowl and the potsherds from the occupation layer are characteristic of the city mound "City V" or "Glazed Bowl" Period (1)."On account of the general uncertainty of Hellenistic chronology in the whole Persian Gulf area it was very important to examine the coins and attempt to determine as accurately as possible the date of deposition of the hoard. In May, 1972, I paid a brief visit to Bahrain and had the opportunity to study there the 292 coins contained in the hoard (2). About 80 coins still awaited cleaning, and the investigation could therefore not be final. However, examination yielded such important information on the composition and chronology of the find that it seems reasonable to publish its results at this early stage, pending final publication.The

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