The coinage of Deultum
Category: numismatics
Language: English

    ”In 2005, the publication of the Bobokov brothers’ numismatic collection began within the framework of the international Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum project. The first volume presented the world’s largest collection of coins struck at Deultum (2010 specimens). Thus, a huge volume of new material was introduced into scholarly circulation. It contains more than 120 new coin types and variants, as well as a large number of new dies for types already known. Thanks to this publication, a new and complete study of Deultum’s coinage became possible.

   To complete such a study, the foundation provided by the Bobokov brothers’ collection was supplemented with specimens from other museums and private collections, as well as with coins from auction catalogues and Internet sites. In total, some 4500 coins were analysed, but only the dies absent from the Bobokov brothers’ collection have been added to the present catalogue. To help readers, the coins published in SNG Bulgaria, Vol. 1, have been included in the new catalogue using the SNG catalogue numbers, while new specimens are indicated by letters following the number (e.g. 802a, 1058a, 1058b, 1315a, 1315b, etc.).

   The present book represents a standard study of a city coinage. It includes a die study with discussion of chronology, types, denominations, legends, countermarks, forgeries, and circulation. The conclusions drawn from the study of the new numismatic material radically differ from those of earlier treatments of Deultum’s coinage.

   The numbers of obverse and reverse dies, as well as die links, are reported for the first time; shared reverse dies between emperors and their relatives are identified; the number of issues for each emperor and his relatives as well as the chronology of each issue are also determined.

   Reverse dies are grouped by iconographic types. Thus, all dies depicting the emperor are grouped in “Imperial” types (Rev.1—16). These are followed by the types of “Priest with two oxen ploughing the colony’s borders” (Rev.17—23), “ox head” (Rev.24—39), “Genius of the colony” (Rev.40—49), etc. This arrangement of the material allows for the appearance and the development of all iconographic types to be traced, as well as for the charting of typological changes from emperor to emperor. Several new obverse and reverse types and variants are described for the first time, as well as new die combinations. Here, for the first time, the few known ancient forgeries of Deultum’s coins are published.

   The book is lavishly illustrated. The illustrations are all presented in 1:1 scale with enlargements in 2:1 scale. All 181 obverse and 674 reverse dies are illustrated with colour photographs, as well as the die-links for each member of the r espective imperial family (Chapter II). All reverse dies are illustrated separately (Chapter III). All specimens in the catalogue are also illustrated. The extensive illustrations allow the reader to verify the author’s conclusions, and will hopefully serve as the basis for future study of this rich material.“

Introduction

Table of contents

Introduction

References

I. Short notes on the history of Deultum in 1st—3rd c. AD

II. Chronology and comments on the issues

III. Reverse types

IV. Deultum in the system of Roman provincial coinage in Thrace and Moesia Inferior

V. Denominations

VI. Coin legends

VII. Countermarks

VIII. Forgeries

IX. Circulation

Catalogue

Indexes

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