DOI Heft:
Artykuły / Articles
DOI Artikel:Dymowski, Arkadiusz: A Roman Antoninianus of Egnatia Mariniana found in the Kujavian region: the third century silver coinage in the territory of the Przeworsk culture
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22230#0101
A ROMAN ANTONINIANUS OF EGNATIA MARINIANA...
With respect to the relevant aspects of denomination and chronology, the re-
corded finds from the settlements of the Przeworsk Culture contain only denarii,
issued until (and including) the reign of Gordian III.27 Considering the body of the
recorded finds (not just those settlement-based), the significant amount of the de-
narii of Gordian III is rather surprising, in view of the fact that they were issued in
relatively smali ąuantities at the time in relation to the antoniniani. Perhaps there
was some particular reason, e.g., the Barbarians’ preference for denarii, rather than
for antoniniani, within the territory of the Przeworsk Culture? The above-men-
tioned hoard of Alwernia, if we were to give credence to the accounts available,
was composed exclusively of denarii, with the latest specimen datable to the reign
of Alexander Severus (222-235). It is possible that it was a late-period deposit,
created in the early decades of the third century, with a considerable portion of
third-century coinage,28 complemented with additions of some earlier, especially
second-century, coins.29 Considering all these circumstances, it is also possible that
the territory of the Przeworsk Culture saw a fairly considerable inflow of the third-
century, and earlier, denarii in the late 230s - early 240s, at the latest.30 However,
with all the finds so far recorded at our disposal, it still cannot be answered whether
that stream had been extended over several decades or linked to some specific po-
litical occurrence implying an outflow of money from the Empire.
As for the antoniniani, there is a fairly well represented group of coins of
Gordian III and Philip the Arab, complemented with a single coin struck under
Trajan Decius. Either we are concemed here with another flow of coinage dating
27 A denarius of Maximinus Thrax from Dalewice (KUNISZ, Znaleziska monet rzymskich z Małopolski,
pp. 48-49; BURSCHE, Later..., p. 187; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., p. 41), a denarius of Gord-
ian III from Igołomia (KUNISZ, Znaleziska monet rzymskich z Małopolski, p. 72; BURSCHE, Later...,
p. 189; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., pp. 69-70), 2 denarii of Elagabalus and Alexander Severus from
Jakuszowice (A. BURSCHE, P. KACZANOWSKI, J. RODZIŃSKA-NOWAK, “Monety rzymskie z Jakuszo-
wic,” [in:] R. MADYDA-LEGUTKO, T. BOCHNIAK (eds.), Superiores Barbari. Księga ku czci Profesora
Kazimierza Godlowskiego, Kraków 2000, pp. 105-117; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., pp. 72-76);
a denarius of Elagabalus from Namysłów (CIOŁEK, Die Fundmiinzen der Rómischen Zeit in Polen: Schlesien,
p. 155), a denarius of Gordian III from Opatkowice (KACZANOWSKI, RODZIŃSKA-NOWAK, “Die Rómisch-
en Fundmiinzen...,” pp. 188-189; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., p. 227).
2S A. KUNISZ, Chronologia napływu pieniądza rzymskiego na ziemie Małopolski, Wrocław 1969,
pp.98-102.
29 In the 230s, and even later, until as late as the mid-third century, second-century and, to a lesser extent,
first-century or earlier denarii had still constituted a significant part of the coinage in circulation in the territory of
the Roman Empire; see H. SCHUBERT, “Das Verhaltnis von Denar zu Antoninian in der Munzschatzen der ersten
Halfte des 3. Jahrhunderts n. Chr.,” Letterae Numismaticae Yindobonenses, vol. 4, Wien 1992, pp. 262-271. For
this reason, e.g., the hoard of Owczarnia (near Elbląg) (KUNISZ, Katalog skarbów..., p. 80; BURSCHE, Later...
p. 155; CIOŁEK, Die Fundmiinzen der Rómischen Zeit in Polen: Pommern,, pp. 152-153), containing at least 21
denarii and antoniniani from the close of the Republican era to Trebonianus Gallus should be treated as a group
which might have been possibly formed in the Empire in the mid-third century.
30 In the late 230s, first- and second-century denarii had continued to remain in circulation in the Roman
Empire; in conseąuence, they may have been brought into the Barbaricum at the time as additions to the then-
current coinage. See SCHUBERT, “Das Yerhaltnis...”, pp. 262-264; see also notę 29.
With respect to the relevant aspects of denomination and chronology, the re-
corded finds from the settlements of the Przeworsk Culture contain only denarii,
issued until (and including) the reign of Gordian III.27 Considering the body of the
recorded finds (not just those settlement-based), the significant amount of the de-
narii of Gordian III is rather surprising, in view of the fact that they were issued in
relatively smali ąuantities at the time in relation to the antoniniani. Perhaps there
was some particular reason, e.g., the Barbarians’ preference for denarii, rather than
for antoniniani, within the territory of the Przeworsk Culture? The above-men-
tioned hoard of Alwernia, if we were to give credence to the accounts available,
was composed exclusively of denarii, with the latest specimen datable to the reign
of Alexander Severus (222-235). It is possible that it was a late-period deposit,
created in the early decades of the third century, with a considerable portion of
third-century coinage,28 complemented with additions of some earlier, especially
second-century, coins.29 Considering all these circumstances, it is also possible that
the territory of the Przeworsk Culture saw a fairly considerable inflow of the third-
century, and earlier, denarii in the late 230s - early 240s, at the latest.30 However,
with all the finds so far recorded at our disposal, it still cannot be answered whether
that stream had been extended over several decades or linked to some specific po-
litical occurrence implying an outflow of money from the Empire.
As for the antoniniani, there is a fairly well represented group of coins of
Gordian III and Philip the Arab, complemented with a single coin struck under
Trajan Decius. Either we are concemed here with another flow of coinage dating
27 A denarius of Maximinus Thrax from Dalewice (KUNISZ, Znaleziska monet rzymskich z Małopolski,
pp. 48-49; BURSCHE, Later..., p. 187; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., p. 41), a denarius of Gord-
ian III from Igołomia (KUNISZ, Znaleziska monet rzymskich z Małopolski, p. 72; BURSCHE, Later...,
p. 189; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., pp. 69-70), 2 denarii of Elagabalus and Alexander Severus from
Jakuszowice (A. BURSCHE, P. KACZANOWSKI, J. RODZIŃSKA-NOWAK, “Monety rzymskie z Jakuszo-
wic,” [in:] R. MADYDA-LEGUTKO, T. BOCHNIAK (eds.), Superiores Barbari. Księga ku czci Profesora
Kazimierza Godlowskiego, Kraków 2000, pp. 105-117; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., pp. 72-76);
a denarius of Elagabalus from Namysłów (CIOŁEK, Die Fundmiinzen der Rómischen Zeit in Polen: Schlesien,
p. 155), a denarius of Gordian III from Opatkowice (KACZANOWSKI, RODZIŃSKA-NOWAK, “Die Rómisch-
en Fundmiinzen...,” pp. 188-189; KACZANOWSKI, MARGOS, Tabula..., p. 227).
2S A. KUNISZ, Chronologia napływu pieniądza rzymskiego na ziemie Małopolski, Wrocław 1969,
pp.98-102.
29 In the 230s, and even later, until as late as the mid-third century, second-century and, to a lesser extent,
first-century or earlier denarii had still constituted a significant part of the coinage in circulation in the territory of
the Roman Empire; see H. SCHUBERT, “Das Verhaltnis von Denar zu Antoninian in der Munzschatzen der ersten
Halfte des 3. Jahrhunderts n. Chr.,” Letterae Numismaticae Yindobonenses, vol. 4, Wien 1992, pp. 262-271. For
this reason, e.g., the hoard of Owczarnia (near Elbląg) (KUNISZ, Katalog skarbów..., p. 80; BURSCHE, Later...
p. 155; CIOŁEK, Die Fundmiinzen der Rómischen Zeit in Polen: Pommern,, pp. 152-153), containing at least 21
denarii and antoniniani from the close of the Republican era to Trebonianus Gallus should be treated as a group
which might have been possibly formed in the Empire in the mid-third century.
30 In the late 230s, first- and second-century denarii had continued to remain in circulation in the Roman
Empire; in conseąuence, they may have been brought into the Barbaricum at the time as additions to the then-
current coinage. See SCHUBERT, “Das Yerhaltnis...”, pp. 262-264; see also notę 29.