ЗНАХІДКИ ДАВНЬОГРЕЦЬКИХ МОНЕТ У БІЛОЗЕРСЬКОМУ РАЙОНІ ХЕРСОНСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ
DISCOVERIES OF ANCIENT GREEK COINS IN THE BILOZERSKY DISTRICT OF KHERSON REGION

Summary/Abstract: On the northern shore of the Dnieper estuary and within the current Bilozerskyi district, Kherson region (Ukraine), there were a number of ancient settlements that were part of the agricultural district of the city-state of Olbia. These include the settlements of Zolotiy Mys (near the village of Shyroka Balka), Skel‘ka (near Oleksandrivka), Glyboka Prystan‘ (near Sofyivka), Bilozers‘ke (near the village of Dnieper) and several others. Olvia was engaged in active trade not only with Greek cities, but also with neighbouring peoples, mainly local tribes, and if at an early stage it was initiated by Greeks, then later, in the fourth and third centuries BC trading activity of local nobility intensified. With the development of trade, especially intracity trade, connected with the appearance of monetary systems in the major cities of the Northern Black Sea coast and minting their own coins. The findings of Olbian coins in the Bilozers‘kyi area, especially at the Inhuletsʹ River mouth are an important source, the study of which is of considerable interest for the history of this region in antiquity. Meanwhile, in the scientific literature noted only a few facts of this kind, so it seems appropriate to give information about a number of such finds. The article deals with the finds of ancient Greek coins known to the author in Bilozers‘kyi district, Kherson region. Most of them were found on the left and right banks of the I Inhuletsʹ River and belong to the Olvian manufacture. This suggests an initial, possibly indirect, connection of the local population with Olbia. The earliest coin is a «dolphin» from the outskirts of the village. The earliest coin is a «dolphin» in the vicinity of Sadovo (late 6th - early 4th century BC.). Late coin includes obol with Demeter and Weapon, dated 240-230 BC. An interesting numismatic find, according to the author, is the «reducible Ass» with the image of a gorgogeion, which was used as a decoration in the form of plaque. Mention is made of two bronze coins minted in one of the mints of Macedonia during the reign of Alexander the Great, perhaps the most famous of all time. On one side of the coin depicts the portrait of Heracles in the lion scalp of the lion killed him, and on the reverse - the attributes of the hero, who became a god himself Heracles - his famous mace and bow with a quiver. Finds of «borysphenes», coins depicting Demeter and one coin from Tyre have been made in the Donets gully area. More attention is being paid to the hoard found in February 2019 on the eastern side of the village of Orlovo. Orlovo (Poniativka village.) of Bilozers‘kyi district. The hoard contained more than 85 Olvian copper coins – «borisphenes». A total of 63 coins could be examined. The «borysphenes» belong to six successive groups of Olvian obols of this type, namely, Group I - 1 coin, Group II - 7 coins, Group III - 3 coins, Group IV - 18 coins, Group V - 28 coins, Group VI - 6 coins. The oldest coin in the hoard is the «borysphene» with a differential of no. 1, which belongs to the first group of these copper coins. The youngest coin is a «borysphene» with differential no. 76, belonging to the sixth group. Thus, hoard of this complex of copper coins of Olbia could take place about 40-20 years at the end of III century BC. All these numismatic finds testify to the population living near the mouth of the Inhuletsʹ River and its surroundings, which had economic ties with Olbia and was settled, densely populated and developed economically and culturally.

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