DOI issue:
Artikuły / Articles
DOI article:Sidarovich, Vital': Barbarian imitations of ancient coins in the territory of Belarus
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43282#0133
BARBARI AN IMITATIONS OF ANCIENT COINS...
is practically identical to the original. While the legend is unfortunately blurred, its
beginning can be read as P M TR PXVII..., which is sufficient for making a precise
identification of the imitation’s prototype. The barbarian origin of the coin is revealed
by the primitive image on the reverse side: first of all by such details as the crudely
executed palm branch and star.32
Two finds of imitations of Roman imperial denarii were made by treasure hunters.
One comes from an area where finds of ancient coins are extremely rare: the middle
course of the Western Dvina River. The coin was found near the village of Strunnie,
Polack Raion, Vitsebsk Vöblasf. It is strongly corroded; hence, the images and legends
are partly lost, which makes attribution more difficult (PI. 2, Fig. 3). In spite of this,
the preserved fragments of the coin surface make it possible to suggest that the coin
from Strunnie is a hybrid-type barbarian imitation.33 The beginning of the legend,
which is legible and which reads LVIIIV, could be interpreted as L VERV. Though
the image of the imperator’s head in a laurel wreath is only preserved in part, it is
probable that a denarius of Lucius Verus served as the prototype. The reverse side,
which is in worse condition, bears the recognisable remains of an image depicting
a goddess (or a personification) sitting left; the legend reads E[N?]VS. It would
seem that this legend is supposed to read VENVS. The prototypes of the reverse
could be the denarii of Faustina Junior with the legends VENVS FELIX, VENVS
GENETRIX, or VENVS VICTRIX, but also the denarii of Lucilla with the legend
VENVS VICTRIX, or the denarii of Crispina with the legend VENVS FELIX.
An interesting imitation of a denarius was found in 2015 near the village
of Matykaly, Brest Raion, Brest Voblast’.34 It bears the characteristics of several
coins at once (Plate 2, Fig. 4). The legend on the obverse - L VERV3 AVG P. VS
A M?X- represents the readily recognisable titles of Lucius Verus. Most likely,
the copied legend was L VERVS AVG ARMPARTHMAX, which is present on the
coins issued in 165-169 AD. Though the first word in the second part of the legend
- P. VS - may be read as PI VS, the emperor’s image resembles Marcus Aurelius
rather than Lucius Verus. The reverse bears an image of Salus holding a rudder
and feeding a serpent coiled on an altar. The legend on the reverse - COS IIII - is
characteristic of Antoninus Pius’ coins. Denarii with combinations of representations
like these were issued between 147-149 AD (RIC 167 and 181).
It is only recently that imitation of gold Roman coin have been found in the
territory of Belarus: in 2016 a plated imitation of Probus’ aureus was found near
32 The coin is stored in the museum stock of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus. It weighs 2.78 g
and its diameter is 16.7 mm.
33 The coin is stored in the Numismatic Cabinet of the Museum of History Faculty at Belarusian State
University. It weighs 1.89 g and its diameter is 17.8 mm.
34 Stored in a private collection. The coin weighs 2.75 g and has a diameter of 18 mm.
is practically identical to the original. While the legend is unfortunately blurred, its
beginning can be read as P M TR PXVII..., which is sufficient for making a precise
identification of the imitation’s prototype. The barbarian origin of the coin is revealed
by the primitive image on the reverse side: first of all by such details as the crudely
executed palm branch and star.32
Two finds of imitations of Roman imperial denarii were made by treasure hunters.
One comes from an area where finds of ancient coins are extremely rare: the middle
course of the Western Dvina River. The coin was found near the village of Strunnie,
Polack Raion, Vitsebsk Vöblasf. It is strongly corroded; hence, the images and legends
are partly lost, which makes attribution more difficult (PI. 2, Fig. 3). In spite of this,
the preserved fragments of the coin surface make it possible to suggest that the coin
from Strunnie is a hybrid-type barbarian imitation.33 The beginning of the legend,
which is legible and which reads LVIIIV, could be interpreted as L VERV. Though
the image of the imperator’s head in a laurel wreath is only preserved in part, it is
probable that a denarius of Lucius Verus served as the prototype. The reverse side,
which is in worse condition, bears the recognisable remains of an image depicting
a goddess (or a personification) sitting left; the legend reads E[N?]VS. It would
seem that this legend is supposed to read VENVS. The prototypes of the reverse
could be the denarii of Faustina Junior with the legends VENVS FELIX, VENVS
GENETRIX, or VENVS VICTRIX, but also the denarii of Lucilla with the legend
VENVS VICTRIX, or the denarii of Crispina with the legend VENVS FELIX.
An interesting imitation of a denarius was found in 2015 near the village
of Matykaly, Brest Raion, Brest Voblast’.34 It bears the characteristics of several
coins at once (Plate 2, Fig. 4). The legend on the obverse - L VERV3 AVG P. VS
A M?X- represents the readily recognisable titles of Lucius Verus. Most likely,
the copied legend was L VERVS AVG ARMPARTHMAX, which is present on the
coins issued in 165-169 AD. Though the first word in the second part of the legend
- P. VS - may be read as PI VS, the emperor’s image resembles Marcus Aurelius
rather than Lucius Verus. The reverse bears an image of Salus holding a rudder
and feeding a serpent coiled on an altar. The legend on the reverse - COS IIII - is
characteristic of Antoninus Pius’ coins. Denarii with combinations of representations
like these were issued between 147-149 AD (RIC 167 and 181).
It is only recently that imitation of gold Roman coin have been found in the
territory of Belarus: in 2016 a plated imitation of Probus’ aureus was found near
32 The coin is stored in the museum stock of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus. It weighs 2.78 g
and its diameter is 16.7 mm.
33 The coin is stored in the Numismatic Cabinet of the Museum of History Faculty at Belarusian State
University. It weighs 1.89 g and its diameter is 17.8 mm.
34 Stored in a private collection. The coin weighs 2.75 g and has a diameter of 18 mm.