Byzantion coin from Paphlagonian Hadrianopolis
Byzantion coin from Paphlagonian Hadrianopolis

Summary/Abstract: This article presents a silver coin of Byzantion discovered in 2023 in rock-cut tomb M-14 at the Southern Necropolis of Paphlagonian Hadrianopolis. Dated to the Late Classical-Early Hellenistic Period (340—320 BCE), the coin features the legend ΠY on the obverse, depicting a bull standing above a dolphin to the left, with a windmill-shaped incuse on the reverse. The structures and finds were unearthed by archaeological excavations started in Hadrianopolis at 2003 generally indicate the Late Roman-Early Byzantine period urbanization of the city. This situation gave the impression that Hadrianopolis was a weak city during the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods, and that there was no settlement in the city at all. However, the coin we examined in this study provides important information about the Charon tradition in Hadrianopolis and supports the argument that Hadrianopolis should not be considered merely a Late Antique city, but also held an important settlement in the region during the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods.

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