DOI Artikel:
Horsnæs, Helle W.; Refshauge Beck, Malene: A hoard of republican denarii from Skellerup, Denmark - a preliminary report
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49247#0045
A HOARD OF REPUBLICAN DENARII FROM SKELLERUP...
of Gudme, whereas the other is from Eisemoselokken, an area displaying activity
from the early part of Gudme’s heyday.12
The Ginderup hoard was excavated in 1934 in a house context dated to
c. AD 100-150. This site is situated in northwestern Jutland, towards the North Sea.
Ginderup is the only other find in Denmark of a hoard dominated by Republican
denarii.13 Yet the composition of the Ginderup hoard differs in a number of
significant ways from the Skellerup hoard. The terminal coin of the Ginderup
hoard is a coin of Vespasian (type RIC 1(2) 702 of AD 74); the hoard also contains
five specimens of Marc Antony’s legionary issue of 31 BC and two specimens of
Augustus’ Gaius and Lucius type, both significant types not encountered in the
Skellerup hoard. Thus, the two hoards may have been deposited up to a century
apart, and the composition of just the Republican coins within these hoards indicates
that their biographies differ greatly.
Only a few Republican denarii are known from other Scandinavian countries.
One was found in the medieval fortification at Viby, Gotland, and must be regarded
as a secondary find.14 Another Republican denarius was reported to have been found
together with a denarius of Domitian in Schonen, but the provenance of the find,
derived from an unknown seller to the present owner, is regarded as untrustworthy.15
A Republican denarius and an Augustan denarius from Nyland, Finland, were both
considered to be secondary finds.16 Few finds have been reported from Germany
from the areas between the Oder and the Elbe, while more specimens have only
appeared in areas close to the Limes.17 Recent studies of finds from East Central
Europe reveal larger numbers of finds from present-day Poland and Ukraine, but
while there are a number of single finds in the Vistula basin, hoards have only been
found in more southerly areas.18
THE GALBA DENARII
The two denarii of Galba from Skellerup pose a particular problem. They were
initially suspected to be part of the same hoard as the Republican denarii, but they
were found approximately 40 m west-northwest of the closest Republican denarii,
12 There is a vast literature on Gudme. For a summary of the numismatic material, see Horsnses (2010:
94—101), which includes references to earlier publications. A more detailed account of the detector finds from
Gudme is in preparation.
13 BJERG2008.
14 LIND 1988: 22 and 61, no. 8.
15 Wc would like to thank Cecilia von Heijne, senior curator of the Royal Coin Cabinet, Stockholm, who
provided us with this information.
16 EHRNSTEN & KUNNAS-PUSA 2017: find nos. 185-186.
17 KOMNICK 2008, with references to relevant entries in the FMRD.
18 DYMOWSKI 2016: in particular Ch. 6; MYZG1N 2017.
41
of Gudme, whereas the other is from Eisemoselokken, an area displaying activity
from the early part of Gudme’s heyday.12
The Ginderup hoard was excavated in 1934 in a house context dated to
c. AD 100-150. This site is situated in northwestern Jutland, towards the North Sea.
Ginderup is the only other find in Denmark of a hoard dominated by Republican
denarii.13 Yet the composition of the Ginderup hoard differs in a number of
significant ways from the Skellerup hoard. The terminal coin of the Ginderup
hoard is a coin of Vespasian (type RIC 1(2) 702 of AD 74); the hoard also contains
five specimens of Marc Antony’s legionary issue of 31 BC and two specimens of
Augustus’ Gaius and Lucius type, both significant types not encountered in the
Skellerup hoard. Thus, the two hoards may have been deposited up to a century
apart, and the composition of just the Republican coins within these hoards indicates
that their biographies differ greatly.
Only a few Republican denarii are known from other Scandinavian countries.
One was found in the medieval fortification at Viby, Gotland, and must be regarded
as a secondary find.14 Another Republican denarius was reported to have been found
together with a denarius of Domitian in Schonen, but the provenance of the find,
derived from an unknown seller to the present owner, is regarded as untrustworthy.15
A Republican denarius and an Augustan denarius from Nyland, Finland, were both
considered to be secondary finds.16 Few finds have been reported from Germany
from the areas between the Oder and the Elbe, while more specimens have only
appeared in areas close to the Limes.17 Recent studies of finds from East Central
Europe reveal larger numbers of finds from present-day Poland and Ukraine, but
while there are a number of single finds in the Vistula basin, hoards have only been
found in more southerly areas.18
THE GALBA DENARII
The two denarii of Galba from Skellerup pose a particular problem. They were
initially suspected to be part of the same hoard as the Republican denarii, but they
were found approximately 40 m west-northwest of the closest Republican denarii,
12 There is a vast literature on Gudme. For a summary of the numismatic material, see Horsnses (2010:
94—101), which includes references to earlier publications. A more detailed account of the detector finds from
Gudme is in preparation.
13 BJERG2008.
14 LIND 1988: 22 and 61, no. 8.
15 Wc would like to thank Cecilia von Heijne, senior curator of the Royal Coin Cabinet, Stockholm, who
provided us with this information.
16 EHRNSTEN & KUNNAS-PUSA 2017: find nos. 185-186.
17 KOMNICK 2008, with references to relevant entries in the FMRD.
18 DYMOWSKI 2016: in particular Ch. 6; MYZG1N 2017.
41