On a find of Alexander-type silver imitation coins

Abstract

The article presents part of a hoard of silver imitations of tetradrachms and drachms, discovered somewhere in the lands of present-day northern Bulgaria. 32 coins have been preserved, of which 3 are imitations of tetradrachms of Philip III Arrhidaeus. The rest are drachms, which can be divided into two groups. The first group consists of 13 imitations of drachms of Philip III Arrhidaeus, of a widespread and well-known type. The second group is represented by 16 coins that are not known in the specialized literature. Only the image on the obverse has been preserved – a barely recognisable head of Heracles right, wearing lion skin headdress. The image on the reverse is verry worn, appearing as an oval bump. Similar coins, but with an illegible obverse, are known from several hoards from the territories of present-day Bulgaria and Romania. The article offers a relative chronology of the known imitations of drachms. It is based on imitations discovered during archaeological excavations, as well as their discovery in mixed hoards, along with other types of Hellenistic coins. The aim of present article is only to put in scientific circulation the available information for this important dispersed coin hoard.