Silver Coins Research Articles

Tracing metallurgical links and silver provenance in Balkan coinage (5th -1st centuries BCE)

AbstractLocal types of coinage testify to the emerging use of silver in the Balkan interior, possibly related to abundant ore deposits in the region. Here, we present Pb isotope data for silver coins minted by local tribes and settlements (anepigraphic coins attributed to the Derrones/Laeaei, Damastion, Pelagia, Kings of Paeonia) between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE. For comparison, we analysed coinage of the potential Greek emporia Dyrrhachium and Apollonia for their main element and Pb-Ag isotope compositions. Statistical data evaluation demonstrates close material connections between coins from the Balkan interior and identify a predominantly local raw material provenance. The majority of Damastion’s issues defines a tight cluster fitting Strabo’s (VII.7.8) account that the settlement possessed nearby silver mines in the Balkan interior. Novobërdë/Novo Brdo (Kosovo) can be plausibly hypothesised among the available reference data to have been one of the main ore districts supplying the mint. Mixing is evident for coins from the Kings of Paeonia and coinage attributed to the Derrones/Laeaei. Virtually identical end-members suggest that Paeonian regal coinage recycled tribal issues with contribution of metal obtained from Damastion’s hypothesised mines. Contemporaneous coinage struck by Dyrrhachium as well as end-members calculated for Thasos and the Macedon kingdom (Albarede et al. in Bullion mixtures in silver coinage from ancient Greece and Egypt, J Archaeol Sci 162:105918, 2024a) signal metal sourced from the Balkans, presumably the Macedonian/Paeonian border area. Comparison of data from Greek city-states and coinage issued by Apollonia and Dyrrhachium for the Romans demonstrates a change in the type and origin of raw materials and bullion composition, indicating a shift in monetary customs and possibly metal production technology.

A Ptolemaic context from Hellenistic Patara. Remarks on amphora stamps and coins

Archaeological investigation at Patara, on the south-western coast of Türkiye, has generated new data concerning the city’s status under Ptolemaic rule in the 3rd century BC. In this study, we focus on a Hellenistic context found at the Tepecik Settlement dating from the period of Ptolemaic hegemony. A Rhodian amphora bearing a stamp on each handle and four coins found in situ enable us to date this context to the first half of the 3rd century BC. The amphora, which was produced in the Rhodian Peraia, slightly further north-west along the Turkish coast, records the eponym Χρυσόστρατος (c. 266 BC) and fabricant Ἀστός. The pairing of these two persons is here clearly confirmed for the first time. The four coins found in the same context include a bronze Macedonian regal coin, two ancient counterfeit silver-plated bronze coins (one recording the name of Alexander the Great and the other recording the name of Ptolemy I Soter), and a genuine Rhodian silver coin carrying the name of the magistrate Ἀριστόβιος. The Rhodian amphora stamps lend further precision to the dating of this context and coins. Thus, we suggest the period c. 275–265/264 BC for the dating of the Rhodian silver coin and the tenure of the Rhodian magistrate Ἀριστόβιος.

Challenges in Silver Conservation: Characterizing the Composition and Sources of Unusual Tarnish on Seleucid Silver Coins Using SEM-EDS

Challenges in Silver Conservation: Characterizing the Composition and Sources of Unusual Tarnish on Seleucid Silver Coins Using SEM-EDS

ABOUT SOME DEBATABLE QUESTIONS OF THE КYIV LAND HISTORY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

The attempt to identify some geographical toponyms of the Кyiv land cities of the 14th century is made in the paper. The annalistic cities in the «A se imena vsim gradam ruskym dalnim i bliznim» («List of Cities, Far and Near») are analyzed by the author. Based on an analysis of written, cartographic, archaeological sources, the author concludes that the annalistic list of Кyiv cities «A se imena vsim gradam ruskym dalnim i bliznim» was compiled in the late 14th century. However, this document includes many different sources: the documents of the ecclesiastes provenance produced by chancelleries of Metropolitans and Bishops, yarlyks of khans of 13—14th century, the charters and treaties of the Lithuanian Princes of 14th century. The paper contains the analysis of a hypothesis about the city of Tmutorokan of the 14th century. The author has paid special attention to sources which provide the evidence about the nomadic (the Cuman) Turkic dynastic clan Tuhorkhan in the Кyiv principality. The finds of the silver coins of the Lithuanian Prince Volodymyr Olherdovych (1362—1394) are discussed. They marked the territory of Кyiv principality of the second part of the 14th century in the Dnieper river region. The northern border of distribution of coins of the Prince Volodymyr Olherdovych is limited by the basin of the river Oster and Sosnica district. The raid of Lithuanian Prince Olherd (1345—1377) against the Golden Horde in the 1362 at the Korshev (Karasy — Black Vody?), and to the territory of traditional summer and winter roaming also are examined. The paper discussed the issues of historical geography, many of which can be solved by systematically archaeological research in the sites from the annalistic list of the «A se imena vsim gradam ruskym dalnim i bliznim» and Golden Horde centers in the Dnieper, Ros, Oster, Vorskla, Buh, Sula, Psel, Desna and other river basins.

The hoard of Juchid coins from excavation site CXCII in the Bolgar fortified settlement

The article introduces the hoard of silver coins found in 2016 on the territory of the Bolgar fortified settlement in excavation site CXCII, square 75, and establishes the concealment time of the find. In total, the hoard contained 11 dirhams of Bolgar coinage. A metrological analysis of coins of types С/180 and С/197 with the involvement of the author’s photo archive is given. Based on the depth of the hoard and other coins (pools of the 14th century) in square 75, the author concludes that the hoard was hidden in the late 1320s. Taking into account the previously published materials, the newly found hoard was assigned number 33 A in the order of hoards recorded. The paper also gives information about the topography of single finds of C/180 type and the hoard of 14th century AD dirhams from southern mints.

INVESTIGATION OF SILVER FORGERIES OF ANCIENT COINS: CASE STUDY OF SILVER COINS OF PARTHIA (ORODES II AND PHRAATES VI)

The investigation into the elemental composition and microstructural characteristics of ancient coins gives valuable information to researchers which greatly aid in the detection of counterfeits. This research aim is analysis encompasses an examination of major and trace elements present in the coins of Parthia, to identify forgery techniques utilizing the PIXE technique. The results show the elements Cl, Ca, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au, Pb, Sn, and Zn were identified and according to the ratio Ag/ Cu, can be said that the Parthia period occasionally used forged silver-plated coins. The elemental composition of silver coins of Orodes II and Phraates IV observes these coins are made with plating silver and affixed to the core utilizing a silver-copper eutectic layer, while the core itself consists of copper, and quantities of tin (Sn) were detected which may have been intentionally added for metallurgical, political, or historical reasons.

Archaeometallurgical and Numismatic Studies of a 5-Peseta Silver Coin from 1870

Abstract This article describes a metallographic and SEM study of a Spanish silver coin. The study verified the coin's authenticity and determined its alloy composition. The investigation is an example of a unique archaeometallurgical collaboration between a university and a museum.

Byzantine plate and Frankish mines: the provenance of silver in north-west European coinage during the Long Eighth Century (c. 660–820)

The late seventh-century introduction of silver coinage marked a transformation in the economy of north-west Europe, yet the source(s) of the silver bullion behind this change remains uncertain. Here, the authors use combined lead isotope and trace element analysis of 49 coins from England, Frisia and Francia to provide new insights into north-European silver sources during the ‘long eighth century’ (c. AD 660–820). The results indicate an early reliance on recycled Byzantine silver plate, followed by a shift c. AD 750 to newly mined metal from Francia. This change indicates the strong role of the Carolingian state in the control of metal sources and economic structures across the North Sea zone.

Interim Report on Gribshunden (1495) Excavations: 2019–2021

Abstract We present an interim archaeological report on the shipwreck of the Danish-Norwegian flagship Gribshunden. Built in 1485, extensively employed by King Hans as his floating castle, and ultimately lost in June 1495 en route to Kalmar, the ship carried people and material selected to further the political goal of re-unifying the Nordic region. Three field campaigns led by Lund University and Blekinge Museum since 2019 have delivered a compelling assemblage of mundane artefacts and high-status items, some without precedent, and all conveying new information beyond the events of the ship’s loss. Highlights include wooden casks, a milled tankard, a purse of silver coins, artillery and accoutrements, several crossbows and accessories, mail armour elements, and an assortment of exotic spices. Laboratory analyses of these and other finds allow new avenues of inquiry and provide deep insights into the late medieval world. This manuscript is derived from a conference presentation. It delivers an overview of recent scientific results, alerts readers to detailed studies already published, and offers waypoints to ongoing research threads.

Silver Coins of Queen Rusudan from Samshvilde

On July 24, 2019, a pit burial was discovered near the ruins of Samshvilde Sioni Cathedral on the territory of the former settlement of Samshvilde (Kvemo Kartli region, South Georgia). Even though it was damaged by the occupation of the later periods, the artifacts uncovered there have helped determine the burial's chronology and cultural context. Along with dis-articulated human remains, a completely corroded iron ring, pottery fragments, ten well-preserved silver coins were discovered in the grave. The present article is the first publication dedicated to this discovery. It provides information about preliminary results and brings the new numismatic finds into scientific circulation as new data for an understanding of the history of Samshvilde and medieval Georgia in general.1

A new algorithm for using Pb isotopes to determine the provenance of bullion in ancient Greek coinage

A new algorithm is proposed that uses Pb isotopes to help identify the ore deposits utilized as sources of silver in Antiquity. The algorithm takes natural and analytical isotope fractionation into account. It proposes a statistical measure of the distances between the Pb isotope compositions of ores and artifacts. This measure is amenable to statistical tests at any confidence level. The new algorithm is applied to the Pb isotope compositions of the end-members derived from 368 new Pb isotope data on silver coinage minted between the late 6th to late 2nd centuries BCE and presented in Albarede et al. (2024). The algorithm identifies the local sources expected for the mints associated with major silver ores found in the territories of Athens, Thasos, and Thrace, while demonstrating that Thrace, Northern Macedonia, and Chalkidiki supplied notable amounts of bullion to Aegina and Ptolemaic Egypt. Minor proportions of what we are designating an old Sardinian ‘mix' created by long-distance trade was used by archaic Athens, Corinthia (Corinth and surrounding city-states), and Aegina. Various islands in the Cyclades (Siphnos, Keos, Seriphos) also appear to be early contributors to archaic Corinthian and Macedonian silver. The present study clearly demonstrates that recycled and mixed bullion formed a substantial part of the silver stocks of mints. The new algorithm warrants more detailed Pb isotopic studies of well-dated coinage to document the changing nature of silver fluxes over time.

От Любеча к Юрьеву дню

The paper puts forward a hypothesis about the date of the battle between a Novgorodian army of Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich and a South-Russian army of Sviatopolk the Accursed on the Dnepr River at Liubech. According to chronicles, the battle took place when Dnepr began to freeze over. This evidence allows to refer the time of the battle to the second half of November — early December. On the eve of the battle Sviatopolk who had already stood in front of Yaroslav for three months drank overnight with his retinue. Sсholars tend to believe that Sviatopolk`s Christian name was Peter: images of St. Peter were stamped on his silver coins. Based on this a hypothesis is made that on the eve of the battle Sviatopolk celebrated his saint`s day: the memorial date of st. Peter of Alexandria falls on November 25th. Consequently, the Liubech battle itself which resulted in Yaroslav`s victory took place in the depth of night, before dawn, November 26th. And this very day of the victory over Kievan regime of fratricide Sviatopolk, memorable for Yaroslav, was afterwards chosen by him for the establishment of all-Russian feast of Victory, the autumnal st. George`s day.

FALSE COIN OF EMPRESS LUCILLA FOUND IN SERDICA

A false coin found in Serdica is described in this article. It is about the coin mixti from the time of empress Lucilla (164–168/ 169), which has the following description:
 Obverse: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F draped bust right.
 Reverse: CONCORDIA Concordia seated left, holding a patera and resting her arm on a statue of Spes.
 Diameter: 17/18mm; Weight – 2.95g.
 The core is made of copper alloy, covered with thick gilding. At present the gilding on the relief parts of the images and letters is impaired and parts of the core are visible, which have rough surface as a result of pits in the metal. On the observe of the coin the impairment is bigger on the image of the empress and smaller on the letters of the inscription. On the reverse the cover of the letters and the inscription is impaired.
 The images and the inscriptions on the coin are the same as on the denar, listed in RIC under No 758. The copper kernel is supposed to have been coated with silver foil and then stamped with the matrix for denars. However, for some reason the kernel was covered with gold, not with silver. It is difficult to estimate whether that was an accident or planned in advance, but as a final reckoning, the fraud is double – a kernel of common metal covered with a golden foil and stamped with the images of f silver coin. In any case it was presumed that the potential owners of that coin were not familiar with the images on the silver and gold coins and this way the Specimen would be accepted without any problems.

Арабская легенда серебряных монет со «стремявидной» тамгой

This article suggests a reading of the legend of the Golden Horde silver coins with a “stirrup-shaped” tamga, the inscription “minted in Crimea,” the motto “padishah of Islam,” and the lakab of the ruler: nuṣratun/al-dunya w-/al-dīn, or “the assistance to peace and faith.” The attempts to decipher the inscription showing abbreviations and inserted into the legend are restricted to the readings its ending, where A. K. Markov viewed “of the year six hundred and ninety,” and N. I. Veselovskii “of the year of eight hundred.” According to these readings, the first attributed the coins in question to the mintage of Iisu Nogai, giving him the khan’s title, and the second to the last years of Khan Toktamysh. N. P. Likhachev has run to the conclusion also shared by R. R. Fasmer that all the readings are doubtful. At present, the author of this article has attributed the silver coins with the “stirrup-shaped” tamga to the “Muslim” mintage of the master of the Crimean ulus Tuka Timur, a son of Jochi, that started in Crimea when Berke and the military elite of the Gorden Horde turned to Islam. The key to the reading of the mysterious legend is the silver dirhams minted in Konya by Izz ad-Din Keikavus II, a son of Giyas ad-Din Keikhusrov II, 658 AH (18.12.1259‒5.12.1260 AD), which until recently were attributed to Keikavus I and dated to 608 AH by S. Lane-Poole, A. K. Markov, A. Tewhid, and G. Hennequin. The legend on the Konya dirhams of Keikhusrov II written in the style similar to the legend on the “Muslim” coins of Tuka Timur reads: “Minted in the city of Konya in the year eight and five (=fifty) and six hundred.” There is an online publication with the correct definition of such a dirham originating from the oriental coins collection in the David Museum (Denmark), which publishers have attributed the spelling of the numerical “five” to the abbreviations dīvanī for the decade hamsin, which occur in the inscriptions of the mints of Saljūqiyān-i Rūm from 646 AH (26.04.1248‒15.04.1249) to the end of the Konya Sultanate (1307 AD). However, in this case the symbol seems to not correspond to the dīvanī abbreviation of “five” (o), though it resembles its indication tens as ones. The legend of the silver coins with “stirrup” tamga clearly show the dīvanī abbreviation “one” (o|) located on the imprint of the first coin stamp at hours 4‒5, and on all the later stamps at hour 12. The legend on the first coin stamp reads “This dinar was minted in Āḳrā in the year one (abbreviated as dīvanī) and six(ty), then ‒ six hundred,” and on the others as “You are minted in Āḳrā in the year one (dīvanī) and six(ty), then ‒ six hundred.” The initial date of the coin issue (661 AH) is not unexpected. It coincides with the date when Tuka Timur, Berke, and the military elite of the Golden Horde accepted Islam as the second religion of state (with the Tengri religion of the Mongols). which happened in the mid-661 AH. Especially important is the name of the mint Āḳrā, which appears together with the inscription on the same coin side as “minted in Crimea.” The same mint and the same mention of the Crimea (Qīrīm Āḳrā) appear on the “pre-Muslim” yarmaks of Tuka Timur, which preceded the coins with the “stirrup” tamga. Be that as it may, this article does not consider the question of the name and location of the Tukatimurids’ mint and the first “capital” of the Crimean ulus.

Double-Relief Silver Coins Minted in the Greek Colonies (444–390/340–280/270 BC) of Southern Italy Analysed by XRF

A sample of 18 double-relief coins from different poleis of Magna Graecia and ancient Italy has been analysed using a handheld XRF spectrometer directly inside the Museo Provinciale Campano (Capua, Italy). The data analysis shows that (i) the main elements are Ag and Cu, indicating that the coins are of high fineness (average Ag 95.7%), (ii) trace elements can help to characterise the coins, (iii) a superficial chemically altered layer (corrosion) is absent, (iv) the values of ratio Ag Kα/Lα evidence the presence of an enrichment layer on the surface of silver or subaerata in some coins. Multivariate statistical analysis and graph analysis allowed the coins to be assigned to different groups with the highest possible accuracy on the basis of the chemical data obtained and models to be constructed to classify the coins according to their historical periods.

Bullion mixtures in silver coinage from ancient Greece and Egypt

Was silver coinage minted from fresh metal newly extracted from the mine or was it from recycled silver deriving from older coins, silverware, or cult objects? The answer helps understand the provenance of coins and their circulation. Using Pb isotopes, the present work proposes a method to disentangle the sources of 368 silver-alloy coins from Athens, Corinth, Aegina, Thasos, Thrace, Macedonia, and Ptolemaic Egypt. We outline a new mixing model based on Principal Component Analysis and allowing for multiple steps of bullion recycling. The first component accounts for 94–99% (typically 97–99%) of the total variance, which indicates that the data form a well-defined alignment indicative of a nearly binary mixture between two source ores referred to as ‘end-members’. Isotopic evidence establishes the subordinate but pervasive practice of remelting. The strong skewness of the first principal component distribution shows that lead is dominated by the binary mixing of end-members. The geologically young end-member has high 206Pb/204Pb and is best exemplified by Laurion ore used in Athenian coinage. With the possible exception of Ptolemaic samples, the second end-member attests to the persistence of a low-206Pb/204Pb, geologically much older, end-member. In most cases, the distributions of a further two principal components are nearly symmetric and can be considered normal. If they represent ore sources, their very small contribution to the total variance qualifies them as ‘noise’ (caused by random isotopic fluctuations in the ores and analytical issues). We find that the Pb isotope ratios in the coinage issued by each minting authority are distributed as a power law. The slope of this distribution varies from one mint to another, with the steepest slopes (Corinth and Ptolemaic Egypt) indicating the predominance of freshly mined silver. The shallow slope of Macedonia demands a larger proportion of geologically old Pb. Silver supplied to the mint of Athens shifted from a mixture of high- and low-206Pb/204Pb in the late 6th c. BCE to a predominance of unmixed high-206Pb/204Pb ore from the mines of Laurion thereafter and fell back to a mixture with intermediate Pb isotope compositions in the second half of the 4th c. BCE. The limitation of the present study resides in the relatively small number of Pb isotope data for each mint, which, in most cases, prevents a statistically significant analysis of these data by periods. Nevertheless, the quasi-binary nature of most silver mixes stands out as a new and strong first-order, albeit somewhat counterintuitive, inference from the present data.

Новый взгляд на денежную реформу Ольвии второй половины IV в. до Р. Х.

The known fact of the resumption of the issue of full-weight coins (with Demeter) in 340—330 BC in Olbia was also accompanied by the issue of its fractions. It is the first series of minted copper (subgr. Iв (Ма), Iг (Мо), IIб (Ро)). The renewal of issue of full-weight copper and its fractions was a consequence of the failure of the decimal reform by the Aristocratids; the population did not accept the reduced “obol series” (gr. 2), apparently, due to insufficient silver coins. In 333 BC, the Aristocratids tried unsuccessfully to legitimize the new monetary system by means of Canob’s decree; the copper and silver of the decree (… τὸν χαλκὸν καὶ τὸ ἀργύριο[ν]…) are “obol series” (ΑΡΙΣ, ΘΕΥ, ΦΙΛΙ, ΜΟΣΧ, ΠΑ, etc.) and silver (ΑΡΙΣ, ΜΟΣΧ). Thus, the traditional hypothesis about the mention of the full-weight copper in Canob’s decree is refuted. Subsequent episodic emission of the “obol series” (gr. 1) in 330—317 BC probably had no effect on monetary circulation; the coins were used to mint the “borysthenes” of gr. 1 until 309 BC.

Roman Coins from Supsa-Kvavilnari (Lanchkhuti Municipality, Guria)

The objective of this study is to identify and describe randomly discovered silver coins in 2013 and 2023 along the eastern Black Seacoast, specifically in the Guria region. The focus will be on the villages of Kvavilnari and Supsa within the Lanchkhuti municipality. The research aims to determine various attributes of these coins, including their country of origin, city, emission years, and metrological parameters. Additionally, the study will explore the existence of parallel materials and investigate the reasons and methods contributing to the circulation of these coins within the specified research area.Following the conducted research, it was established that the discovered coins in Kvavilnari and Supsa represent Roman emperors from the following periods: drachmas with the names of Septimius Severus (193-211) - 3 coins, Julia Domna (†217) - 3 coins, Geta (209-211) - 2 coins, Caracalla (198-217) - 2 coins, and Fulvia Plautilla (202/5-211) - 1. Additionally, a Denarius of Septimius Severus (1 unit) was found in Supsa. Historically, Colchis was a part of the province of Cappadocia, and Roman forts along the eastern Black Sea coast often had garrisons transferred from this region. The political circumstances were accompanied by corresponding economic relations. Drachmas minted in Caesarea were widely circulated in Western Georgia during Roman times, serving as the primary means of exchange.In the study of coins, the paramount consideration is the examination of the discovery site. The area of Supsa-Ureki has yieldedRoman coins in the past. In 1942, during earthworks in Ureki, a Roman aureus, its replica, and several Caesarean drachmas were uncovered. Subsequently, in 1949, the same location revealed Cappadocian treasures, both accidentally and during archaeological excavations. The presence of Caesarian and Roman coins at the research site is associated with the Roman garrison stationed in Tsikhisdziri and Poti. Some scholars suggest that Septimius Severus established a garrison in the village of Moedani within the Lanchkhuti municipality. In such a scenario, the discovery of Roman coins in Kvavilnari and Supsa is considered natural and does not necessitate special commentary. The numismatic artifacts examined align seamlessly with the established patterns of coin circulation in Colchis. The unearthing of these coins underscores the imperative for archaeological investigations at the research points.

Jernlænken fra Fæsted

Jernlænken fra Fæsted

Sources of early Islamic silver: lead isotope analysis of dirhams

The expansion of the early Islamic state (c. AD 700–900) was underpinned by the minting of silver coins (dirhams) on an enormous scale. While the wider effects of this coinage have been studied extensively, the sources of silver have attracted less attention and research has relied on literary texts pointing to mines in Arabia and Central Asia. Here, the authors use lead isotope and trace element analyses of more than 100 precisely dated silver coins to provide a geochemical perspective on Islamic silver. The results identify multiple new sources, stretching from Morocco to the Tien Shen, and indicate an Abbasid-period mining boom. These source locations have implications for contemporary geopolitics including on the Islamic-Byzantine frontier.