The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SONGBOOK
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
O
N
G
B
O
O
K
More clues leading to the result SONGBOOK
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a collection of numbers" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a collection of numbers = songbook.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SONGBOOK mean?
SONGBOOK noun- A book containing songs.