This chapter focuses on two general issues of relevance to the investigation of coin finds in church buildings based on case studies of two medieval churches, Arby and Gränna, in the province of Småland, Sweden.

Firstly, there is the issue involving therelationship between coin use in churches and the ownership of the church, whichcould be in the hands of either private patrons or parish congregations. What differencesin coin use might have resulted from the different ways a church might be managed? Can the coins help us to see such changes? Of central importance to this line ofinvestigation is the notion that coins reflect and are part of their historical context, butalso affected people’s everyday and religious lives (e.g. used for indulgences, masses,embellishment of church space, opening up interior space and power relations).

Secondly, there is the relationship between coin finds from churches and general coin use in society. How should differences in coin find patterns and fluctuations in the intensity of deposition be interpreted? To what extent are patterns from coin finds in churches useful for extrapolating and for interpretations of the role of coins outside of that specific context? Here, evaluations of the depositional processes and of the composition of the coin finds are of great consequence. This line of enquiry seeks to push beyond the common view that the church is “a society in miniature,” partly accepting it, but also underlining the unique character of the ecclesiastical context and of the events taking place in it, and thus the particular conditions for artefacts found there.

The results of this study of two Småland churches indicate, firstly, that coin use inside churches in Sweden only took off in a significant way with the formation of parishes in the thirteenth century, when congregations took over the responsibility for the church. Secondly, that coin use in churches was largely connected with offerings, and with certain events, such as the celebration of a designated saint’s day and fundraising for building projects. This raises the question of whether, and in what ways, fluctuations in the coin material found in ecclesiastical contexts may be used to discuss societal and economic phenomena outside of the church walls.