A Collective Find of Roman Bronze Coins from the 2nd–3rd Century from the Collection of the Regional History Museum–Kyustendil

Abstract

The subject of the present study is a collective coin find comprising 202 bronze coins. According to the individuals who submitted it to the Regional History Museum Kyustendil, its provenance is the region of the town of Dupnitsa. However, an analysis of its composition raises several doubts.
The chronological parameters of the compact core of the find extend from the reign of Trajan (AD 98–117) to Severus Alexander (AD 222–235). The find includes bronze coins: cast imitations of denarii (9 specimens), one quadrans, and provincial issues (190 specimens). Two pieces belong to an earlier period – one of Alexander III (336–323 BC) and one of Abdera (late 4th–3rd century BC).
A further 56 coins remain unidentified. Based on their external characteristics they may also be classified as provincial bronze issues. With the exception of the coins of Alexander the Great, Abdera, and one specimen minted at the Nicaea mint for Marcus Aurelius, which are official struck coins, all 199 other specimens are cast imitations from the same period (AD 2nd–3rd centuries).
Of particular interest is the presence of coins of Elagabalus, which make up 37% of the find. Specimens from the Marcianopolis mint (51%) and Nicopolis ad Istrum mint (21%) predominate, which could help to pinpoint the location where the coins were originally found. It is entirely plausible that this coin hoard formed part of a larger one discovered somewhere in northern Bulgaria.