Bulgarian Numismatic Journal

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

2026-05-29T18:07:13+03:00

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.

Coin Jewellery and Costume Elements with Coins from the Eastern Balkans: Observations on Their Geographical Distribution during the 16th – mid-18th Century

2026-02-28T13:42:08+02:00

This study examines the geographical distribution of coin jewellery in the eastern Balkan Peninsula (early 16^th to the mid-18^th century) drawing on travellers’ accounts and hoards containing large numbers of perforated coins. Travelogue evidence for coin jewellery is most abundant in the region between Ihtiman and Niš, and more limited in the Upper Thracian Plain, present-day north-eastern Bulgaria, and along the Aegean coast. Hoards with large numbers of perforated coins are concentrated in north-western and central northern Bulgaria, the area around Sofia, and the Kraishte region, while occurring less frequently in eastern Bulgaria and only sporadically in the Rhodopes and the Mesta valley. These patterns appear to reflect the larger Christian population in western Bulgaria, identified as the primary wearers of coin jewellery. There is no evidence for the use of this form of adornment by Muslim women in the region during this period. Documented instances of the use of coin jewellery concern Bulgarian, Greek, and Roma women, and are markedly less frequent in urban than in rural contexts.

Numismatic Finds in Bozhenishki Urvich during 2025

2026-01-25T19:31:59+02:00

The ancient and medieval fortress of Bozhenishki Urvich is located about 20 km north of the city of Botevgrad. It was actively researched in the 1970s and 1980s, but was never fully explored. In 2023, excavations were resumed, and new numismatic finds were discovered in the area during three archaeological seasons. In 2025, two gold solidi of Emperor Justinian I were found in the remains of a Late Antique building from the 6^th century. In addition to the gold coins, 11 bronze coins were also discovered in that year.

Coin finds from the site of Aydaritsa, Petrich region in 2025

2026-03-03T09:25:15+02:00

The report includes an overview of the numismatic material found during the excavations
at the archaeological site of Aydaritsa in 2025, representing a total of thirteen coins.

Excavation Coins from Heraclea Sintica, Season 2025: Part 1. The Necropolis

2026-03-03T12:14:30+02:00

This report includes an overview of the numismatic material found during the rescue excavation of the Southern necropolis in Heraclea Sintica during 2025, consisting of 255 coins.

Mistakes as a Source of Knowledge: ACCSN 2.0. A DARIAH−ERIC Project

2026-05-29T18:28:49+03:00

Commercial Lead Sealing of Tralleis found in Cabyle

2026-01-25T19:24:26+02:00

Archaeological excavations of Late Antique structures in Sector V of the Cabyle Archaeological Reserve have been ongoing for more than a decade. In 2024, more than 160 coins were discovered, including a gold solidus of Emperor Valentinian I; they were published last year. Another artefact from these excavations, which demonstrates the commercial connections of the city of Cabyle with other parts of the empire in Late Antiquity, will also be presented.