Chronicle of monetary finds in Tulcea County (9th-13th centuries) Cover Image

Cronica descoperirilor monetare din judeţul Tulcea (sec. IX-XIII)
Chronicle of monetary finds in Tulcea County (9th-13th centuries)

Author(s): Gheorghe Mănucu-Adameşteanu
Subject(s): Archaeology
Published by: Institutul de Cercetari Eco-Muzeale Tulcea - Institutul de Istorie si Arheologie
Keywords: Isaccea–Noviodunum–Vicina; Byzantines coins; folles; stamena; monede bizantine; folles; stamena;

Summary/Abstract: This article continues the publication of monetary finds from the Middle Byzantine period with the presentation of a lot of 87 coins from the 10th-12th century, accidentally found at Isaccea-Noviodunum-Vicina. The importance of the centre from Isaccea is reinforced y the existence of several coin workshops there. The presence of cast coins – anonymous and signed folles from Emperors Michael IV (1034-1041), class C – 1 piece, Constantine IX (1042-1055), class D – 1 piece., Constantine X (1059-1067), type 2 – 1 piece, Roman IV (1067-1071), class G – 1 piece, Michael VII (1071-1078) – two signed pieces, Nikephoros III (1078-1081) – 5 anonymous pieces – confirm that the activity of the workshop situated at Isaccea-Noviodunum-Vicina, which issued the cast folles, was much more intense in the second half of the 11th century. Among the coins issued after the monetary reform in 1092 of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, we found the different colour of stamena items from the third issuance from Constantinople striking. It seemed to be due to a different quantity of silver used in the coin alloy. This impression was confirmed by XRF analyses made by our colleague, engineer M. Georgescu from the National History Museum. The analyses revealed 14% to 24% silver in the alloy. From the same Emperor, in the presented lot, there is also a coin that we cannot assign precisely to a casting workshop. The proposed locations are Adrianople, Phillippopolis and Isaccea, but the large number of coins found in Dobrudja – most of them at Isaccea-Noviodunum-Vicina – determined us to localize this officina at Isaccea. This assumption is supported by the find of this coin. Rezumat: Articolul continuă publicarea descoperirilor monetare din perioada medie bizantină, prin prezentarea unui lot format din 87 de monede din sec. X-XII, descoperite întâmplător la Isaccea–Noviodunum–Vicina. Importanţa centrului de la Isaccea rezultă şi din faptul că aici au fost localizate mai multe ateliere monetare. Prezenţa pieselor turnate – folles anonimi şi semnaţi de la împăraţii Mihail IV (1034-1041), clasa C – 1 ex, Constantin IX (1042-1055), clasa D – 1 ex., Constantin X (1059-1067), tip 2 – 1 ex, Roman IV (1067-1071), clasa G – 1 ex., Mihail VII (1071-1078), 2 ex. semnate, Nichifor III (1078-1081), 4 ex. anonime - ne confirmă că atelierul care a pus în circulaţie folles turnaţi, care a fost localizat tot la Isaccea–Noviodunum–Vicina, a avut o activitate mult mai intensă în a doua jumătate a sec. XI. Dintre monedele puse în circulaţie după reforma monetară din anul 1092, realizată de împăratul Alexios I Comnenul, ne-a frapat culoarea diferită a exemplarelor de stamena din emisiunea a treia de la Constantinopol, care părea să se datoreze unei cantităţi diferite de argint din aliajul monedelor. Această impresie ne-a fost confirmată de analizele XRF efectuate de M.Georgescu de la Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României, care au pus în evidenţă procente ale argintului, cuprinse între 14-24%.

  • Issue Year: X/2012
  • Issue No: 10
  • Page Range: 193-208
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Romanian