DOI Artikel:
Lichocka, Barbara: Coinage in Cyprus in the reign of Hadrian
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21230#0171
simultaneously. Amongst the twelve coins found, nine carae from Cy-
prus: one dates to the period of Augustus, three to the reign of Claudius
(including two countermarked under Hadrian; Fig. 2), another three
represent the issues of Vespasian (with the obverse portraits of Vespa-
sian, Titus and Domitian), and two of Trajan. Three Flavian coins are
silver, the rest bronze.16 The other three bronze coins, probably not from
Cyprus, are almost illegible.17
The coins countermarked under Hadrian suggest a date post quem for
the deposit. The countermarks show the laureate draped bust of Ha-
drian, a type occurring on Roman coins dating to AD 117-119. Throug-
hout the whole period of the reign of Hadrian these are the only Cy-
priot coins that bear his portrait.18
Is the occurrence of the Augustus' coin in this hoard accidental?
There is much evidence that in many places, Republican and early im-
perial coins were still in use as late as the third century.19 In Cyprus,
Augustus' coins were found in a hoard from Plątani near Famagusta,
which was also associated with a human skeleton. The coins of Trajan
indicate the date post ąuem of the hoard.20 There are some Augustus'
coins countermarked several decades after their issue, under Domitian.-1
It is impossible to say whether the countermarked coins had been in
circulation without interruption through the whole period sińce their
16 I. Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Evidence for an unknown earthąudke in Paphos", in:
IJpaKXiKaxov Aevrspov KvKpwXoyiKov Evve8pwv, AevKooia 1982 (AettKoota 1985)
[further cited: Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Evidence"], pp. 357-359, Nos. 1-9, Pis. 3.1-5; 4.6-9;
Paphosll, p. 66, No. 536, PI. XVIII; pp. 68-71, Nos. 545-549 and 553-555, PI. XIX; pp. 144-
145, Nos. 1-9.
17 Paphosll, pp. 93-94, Nos. 653-655, PI. XXIV; pp. 145-146, Nos. 10-12; for an earlier,
different opinion, Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Evidence", pp. 359-360, Nos. 10-12, PI. 3.10-12.
18 Cf. Paphosll, p. 118.
19 D. Sperber, "New Lighton the Problem ofDemonetization in the Roman Empire", NumChron
10, 7th ser. (1970), pp. 111-112; cf. the presence of Ptolemaic coins in the hoard PHH 26
from Nea Paphos, the House of Orpheus, for which a date post quem is suggested by a Syrian
coin of Antiochos, dated to AD 158/159 (?), I. Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Four Ptolemaic/Ro-
man Hoards from Cyprus", NumChron 153 (199.3) [further cited: Michaelidou-Nicolaou,
"FourHoards"], pp. 17-21, Pis. 4-5.
20 Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "FourHoards", pp. 24-26, PI. 8; see below, note 32.
21 I. Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Cypriot bronze Greek Imperial countermarked Coins "in: Proceedings
of the lOth International Conress of Numismatics, London, September 1986 [further cited: Mi-
chaelidou-Nicolaou, "Countermarked Coins"], pp. 208-209, Nos. (1)-(13), PI. 23.1-2, 4-5, 7-8,
12-13, 15-16, 18, 42; Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "FourHoards", pp. 15-16, No. 71.
171
prus: one dates to the period of Augustus, three to the reign of Claudius
(including two countermarked under Hadrian; Fig. 2), another three
represent the issues of Vespasian (with the obverse portraits of Vespa-
sian, Titus and Domitian), and two of Trajan. Three Flavian coins are
silver, the rest bronze.16 The other three bronze coins, probably not from
Cyprus, are almost illegible.17
The coins countermarked under Hadrian suggest a date post quem for
the deposit. The countermarks show the laureate draped bust of Ha-
drian, a type occurring on Roman coins dating to AD 117-119. Throug-
hout the whole period of the reign of Hadrian these are the only Cy-
priot coins that bear his portrait.18
Is the occurrence of the Augustus' coin in this hoard accidental?
There is much evidence that in many places, Republican and early im-
perial coins were still in use as late as the third century.19 In Cyprus,
Augustus' coins were found in a hoard from Plątani near Famagusta,
which was also associated with a human skeleton. The coins of Trajan
indicate the date post ąuem of the hoard.20 There are some Augustus'
coins countermarked several decades after their issue, under Domitian.-1
It is impossible to say whether the countermarked coins had been in
circulation without interruption through the whole period sińce their
16 I. Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Evidence for an unknown earthąudke in Paphos", in:
IJpaKXiKaxov Aevrspov KvKpwXoyiKov Evve8pwv, AevKooia 1982 (AettKoota 1985)
[further cited: Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Evidence"], pp. 357-359, Nos. 1-9, Pis. 3.1-5; 4.6-9;
Paphosll, p. 66, No. 536, PI. XVIII; pp. 68-71, Nos. 545-549 and 553-555, PI. XIX; pp. 144-
145, Nos. 1-9.
17 Paphosll, pp. 93-94, Nos. 653-655, PI. XXIV; pp. 145-146, Nos. 10-12; for an earlier,
different opinion, Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Evidence", pp. 359-360, Nos. 10-12, PI. 3.10-12.
18 Cf. Paphosll, p. 118.
19 D. Sperber, "New Lighton the Problem ofDemonetization in the Roman Empire", NumChron
10, 7th ser. (1970), pp. 111-112; cf. the presence of Ptolemaic coins in the hoard PHH 26
from Nea Paphos, the House of Orpheus, for which a date post quem is suggested by a Syrian
coin of Antiochos, dated to AD 158/159 (?), I. Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Four Ptolemaic/Ro-
man Hoards from Cyprus", NumChron 153 (199.3) [further cited: Michaelidou-Nicolaou,
"FourHoards"], pp. 17-21, Pis. 4-5.
20 Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "FourHoards", pp. 24-26, PI. 8; see below, note 32.
21 I. Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "Cypriot bronze Greek Imperial countermarked Coins "in: Proceedings
of the lOth International Conress of Numismatics, London, September 1986 [further cited: Mi-
chaelidou-Nicolaou, "Countermarked Coins"], pp. 208-209, Nos. (1)-(13), PI. 23.1-2, 4-5, 7-8,
12-13, 15-16, 18, 42; Michaelidou-Nicolaou, "FourHoards", pp. 15-16, No. 71.
171