Две монеты чеканки Аспрокастро
Two Coins of Asprocastro Coinage

Summary/Abstract: More than fifty years have passed since the first publication of coins, which were called Asprocastro, the coin of Belgorod Town. Thirteen coins of this series have been published so far. This article describes two coins from the private collection of M. Ciocanu, Chisinau collector. Twenty three such coins are known at present (ten of them in private collections). Opinions vary on whether this coin existed in the early or middle XV century and served as an internal exchange coin of the town, or whether it was emitted by a Gospodar (Prince) who only stayed in Belgorod for a short term. We suppose that existence of the copper coin of Asprocastro had a political basis. This phenomenon indicates, mainly, the status of the town in Moldavian principality; the time of coinage and use can be marked by approximately 1407-1457 years. At the same time, one must presume that Belgorod had a double status: first of all it was an independent town, crafts and trade centre and a port; second, it was a customs house and a fortress of Moldavian principality.

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