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Hoard stories

 

By Tom Buijtendorp

 

Coin hoards tell an interesting story about the development of ancient coinage. Even when the find spot is unknown, the coins still provide useful information, as some hoard coins from the trade illustrate. When sold via internet interesting details and photos are available. And some dealers more and more describe the hoards as group, especially hoards from the UK, a development that should be supported. Clearly, a controlled excavation remains the preferred option, but there will always be accidental finds (next to destructive looting of known sites).

 

Hoard descriptions

 

Descriptions of hoards in many cases try to reconstruct how a hoard was composed before being buried, and what the reason for the burial was. Reasons for burial can be the classical hoarding for long term saving. It can however also be an emergency burial to get the money away from sudden violence. Or there can be an accident like a fire or the loss of for example a purse. The way hoards have been composed before burial may differ as well. In so called circulation hoards, the coins have been taken from coin circulation in a brief period of time like the content of a lost purse, or the repayment of a loan. It can also be an accumulated hoard saved step by step, for example.

 

This kind of categorizations in many cases oversimplifies the background of hoards. There are for example composite hoards like a combination of a purse recently added to a savings hoard. And somebody may have received a salary paid from a savings hoard and carry it in a purse. As long as these potential complications are clear, it still helps to understand the different possible compositions of coin hoards.

 

In this article, examples from the trade will be discussed. The overview starts with some hoards with more information about their burial circumstances. Then other hoards will be discussed in chronological order to illustrate the historical importance. Some hoards are described in some more detail in the Numiswiki articles listed at the end of this article.

 

Deposition

 

Fig 1. Aureus of Tiberius (14-37 CE) of the Boscoreale hoard with the characteristic deep reddish toning, minted in the last years of his reign in Lyon. Obverse TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right, laurel wreath ties fall in small undulations (waves); reverse PONTIF MAXIM, Pax (or Livia as Pax) seated right on chair with decorated legs, a single line below, long scepter vertical behind in her right, branch in left, feet on footstool. Weight 7.709 gram, maximum diameter 19 mm. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr.  SH30618.

 

Fig. 2 Denarius of Hadrianus (117 – 138 CE) of the Forum Fire Hoard with a wavy fire damaged, bent flan. Minted 134-138 CE in Rome. Obverse HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right; reverse MONETA AVG, Moneta standing left holding scales and cornucopia; Weight 3.378 gram, maximum diameter 16.7 mm.  Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. RS15011.

 

Fig. 3. Two denarii of Elagabalus (218-222 CE)  and one Severus Alexander(222-235 CE), uncleaned as found in a sealed container with green patina. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. LT36716.

 

Regarding deposition circumstances, the Boscoreale hoard is a famous example. The hoard of more then thousand golden aureii was discovered in 1895 in a villa close to Pompeii. The owner buried the hoard in 79 CE in a water cistern in the wine cellar, fearing the warning sound of the Vesuvius shortly before the eruption. The intense heat of the eruption gave the coins the famous deep reddish Boscoreale patina. Unfortunately, the hoard was dispersed without being catalogued. Thanks to the typical patina, some coins are still known and incidentally offered for sale (fig 1). Another example is a burned hoard of mainly denarii, concealed around 225 CE and described in a separate Numiswiki article (the Forum Fire Hoard). The coins were found in an amalgamation: melted coins and black silver oxide on the outside formed a solid black ball. Inside the coins were still in nice condition, however, most are wavy and somewhat brittle due to the heat of the fire. About 3/4 of the 92 catalogued coins show clear traces of the fire, in many cases with a bent flan (fig 2). Another example with some indication of the burial are three denarii from the same period with a green hoard container patina (fig 3.). In most cases, for hoards from the trade, the only link to the burial circumstances are political circumstances related to the minting period of the youngest coin. As the examples show, this offers a numismatic history, here presented in a chronological sequence.

 

Hoards tell the story

 

Fig 4. The latest coin of Antiochus XII (87-84 BCE) of the Galilee hoard, a bronze hemichalkon minted in Damascus. Obverse diademed, bearded head of Antiochos XII right; reverse BASILEWS ANTIOC DIONUSO EPIFANOUS FILOPATOROS KALLINIKOU, Nike walking right, wreath in extended right, palm frond over shoulder in left, monogram in exergue. Weight 3.345 gram, maximum diameter 16.9 mm. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. GB46336.

 

Political unrest is an important reason for the existence of coin hoards. At the first place, it is an extra reason to burry the coins. And in addition, the owner may get killed and as a result not being able to recollect the hoard. For the same reason, a lost purse will not be searched after by the owner. A possible example is the Galilee hoard buried end 84 BCE or a little later, reported to be found North of lake Galilee, what fits the surrounding location of the nine mints represented in the hoard. The hoard was probably buried following the unrest after the defeat of Antiochus XII, the last strong Seleucid ruler. There were 131 bronze coins, of which 118 could be identified by Alex Malloy who acquired the hoard in 1989. The coins represent the leaders who played a role in the struggle. There were coins minted for Antiochus XII Dionysus (c. 87 – 84 BCE) who ruled the last Seleucid realm in and around Damascus. His youngest hoard coin was minted late 84 BCE in Damascus just before he was killed in a fight against the Nabateans, rulers from current Jordan who shortly after captured Damascus. One coin of Aretas III (87 – 62 BCE) is minted in Damascus right after the city was captured. Antiochus XII also did fight against the Judean kingdom in the south, and eight prutahs of their ruler Alexander Jannaeus (103 – 76 BCE) minted in Jerusalem are present in the hoard. In addition, coins of earlier rulers are present like 27 coins of Demetrius III Eucaerus (96 – 87 BCE), 8 coins of Antiochus VII Grypus (125-96 BCE) and some even older coins of Demetrius II Nikator (136-129 BCE), Antiochus VII Sidetes (138-129 BCE) and Demetrius I Soter (162- 150 BCE). The oldest coins of Antiochus III the Great (223 – 187 BCE) minted in Antioch were more then a century old when the hoard was buried. The reported find spot is about half way of the two major mints (64% of the hoard) of Damascus and Akko, the harbour on the shore of the Mediterranean see. On the same shore are mints represented in Tyre, Biblos, Sidon (all current Lebanon) and Seleucia (Syrian coast). In addition, there are coins from Damascus, Antioch, Jerusalem and the Nabatean capital Petra. The total monetary value of the 131 coins was relatively small.

 

Fig 5. A sample of 21 lead tesserae of Alexander Janneus (103-76 BCE) of a somewhat larger hoard of more then thirty of such coins (check). All of Hendin type 1155. Obverse text BASILEWS ALEXANDROU (of King Alexander), anchor upside-down inside circle; reverse Aramaic inscription, King Alexander, border of dots. In most cases, the reverse is fully worn. Offered by Forum Ancient Coins nr. JD11176 (see also LT36982, LT3567?)

 

The Jewish leader Alexander Janneus (103-76 BCE) mentioned above, minted around 80 BCE rare lead tokens (tesserae). They were issued to the poor to be redeemed for food and other commodities, mirroring the Roman distribution system. Alexander in this way hoped to gain support in his political struggle. These tesserae were for a long time very rare and not very well known. Thanks to some recent hoards, the knowledge of this interesting items has improved. Some have a dessert patina as the example shown of a group of lead tesserae from the same source (fig 5). The obverse shows in a circle an anchor upside down as hanging on the side of a boat, with around in Greek the legend BASILEWS ALEXANDROU (Basileus Alexandrou = of King Alexander). The anchor became an important symbol after Alexander Janneus conquered some of the coastal cities. The reverse, in many cases blank now, originally contained the Aramic text ‘King Alexander’ in three lines.

 

Fig 6. A group of 60 widow mites with a common shining green, pickled patina indicating the provenance of the same hoard. Introduced by Alexander Janneus around 78 BCE. Obverse star of eight rays surrounded by diadem, crude barbaric style; reverse BASILEWS ALEXANDROU (barbaric and blundered), anchor upside-down in circle. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins lot nr.  LT56705.

 

In the same period, around 78 BCE, Alexander Janneus (103 – 76 BCE) started in Jerusalem to mint very small coins, the leptons. They became known as the ‘widow mites’ because these small coins may have been referred to in the New Testament (the story of the poor widow and here small money gift to the temple, Mark 12:41). The obverse legend refers to year 25 of the reign of Alexander Janneus, meaning they were minted around 78 BCE. Many are found in large hoards (fig 6). Based on the high volumes, it has been suggested that minting continued during the reign of his wife and successor Salome Alexandra (76-67 BCE). She did not mint coins in her own name, so continuation of the coins of her husband makes sense. It could explain the large volumes, making this small coin still a very important part of the small change in the first century CE, explaining why many of these coins are quite worn. The obverse shows a star of eight rays surrounded by a diadem. The crude Aramic obverse legend refers to king Alexander and year 25. The crude reverse like the tesserea shows an anchor upside down, again with the name of the king and sometimes with the year (L) 25 (KE) near the anchor points. Many have irregular flans and in many times are off centred, sign of large volume minting. Also the old ‘bridges’ of the casted row of flans are still clearly visible at one or two sides. They still circulated in the first century CE and even occasionally in the 4th century as shown by excavations.

 

 

Fig 7. A Group of 20 Republican denarii, all of the common type with a bust on the obverse and a car with horses on the reverse, and the name of the moneyer, in this case for example D. Unius Silanus (D. SILANVS), C. Licinius LF Macer (C. LICINIVS LF MACER) and twice M. Lucilis Rufus (M. LVCILI RVF).  In  some cases ROMA below. This type was minted until 41 BCE. The three moneyers mentioned worked between 101 and 84 BCE. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. LT54755.

 

Fig. 8. A local imitation of a denarius of Tiberius from a coin hoard form India. On the obverse blundered reading of CAESAR DVI AVG F AVGVSTVS as TILLFSLRIVIAVCFAVGVSTVS. Reverse blundered reading of PONTIF MAXIM as ONIIF MANIM. Weight 3.008 gram, max diameter 18.2 mm, die-axis 180, sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. SH20732.

 

The bronze coin hoards were of much lower value then most of the Republican silver hoards of denarii (fig 7). These silver hoards are very important for the dating of the moneyers who worked in specific years. For the hoard coins shown in fig 7 for example, moneyer Lucilius worked in 101 BCE, Silanus in 91 BCE and Licinius Macer in 84 BCE. Thanks to hoard evidence, combined with sequences deducted from overstrikes, it is possible to date the introduction of the denarius to around 211 BCE. During the first century BCE, the denarius was the main high value hoard coin. Sulla introduced the golden aureus around 85 BCE, but only Caesar started to mint some larger volumes. The denarius was also used for long distance trade, even outside the empire. An interesting example is a coin hoard from India described in a separate Numiswiki article (Triton X Hoard). Among the 175 Roman denarii of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE) and Tiberius (14 – 17 CE) the hoard contained some local imitations (fig 8). The Roman denarii were in India appreciated for their high silver content. The Roman looks of the coins functioning as a kind of quality stamp.

 

Fig 9. A hoard of 40 Greek-Illyrian drachms of the Adriatic coast, probably buried around 60-48 CE in the Balkan. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins lot nr. LT24268.

 

Fig 10. Four obverses of the hoard of fig. 9, all showing the cow suckling a calf facing to the left as minted in Apollonia. Above the cow names: NIKWN (Nikoon), MAARKOS (Maarkos), NIKHN (Niken), TIMHN (Timen). Sold by Forum Ancient Coins lot nr. LT24268.

 

 

 

 

Hoard stories

 

By Tom Buijtendorp

 

Coin hoards tell an interesting story about the development of ancient coinage. Even when the find spot is unknown, the coins still provide useful information, as some hoard coins from the trade illustrate. When sold via internet interesting details and photos are available. And some dealers more and more describe the hoards as group, especially hoards from the UK, a development that should be supported. Clearly, a controlled excavation remains the preferred option, but there will always be accidental finds (next to destructive looting of known sites).

 

Hoard descriptions

 

Descriptions of hoards in many cases try to reconstruct how a hoard was composed before being buried, and what the reason for the burial was. Reasons for burial can be the classical hoarding for long term saving. It can however also be an emergency burial to get the money away from sudden violence. Or there can be an accident like a fire or the loss of for example a purse. The way hoards have been composed before burial may differ as well. In so called circulation hoards, the coins have been taken from coin circulation in a brief period of time like the content of a lost purse, or the repayment of a loan. It can also be an accumulated hoard saved step by step, for example.

 

This kind of categorizations in many cases oversimplifies the background of hoards. There are for example composite hoards like a combination of a purse recently added to a savings hoard. And somebody may have received a salary paid from a savings hoard and carry it in a purse. As long as these potential complications are clear, it still helps to understand the different possible compositions of coin hoards.

 

In this article, examples from the trade will be discussed. The overview starts with some hoards with more information about their burial circumstances. Then other hoards will be discussed in chronological order to illustrate the historical importance. Some hoards are described in some more detail in the Numiswiki articles listed at the end of this article.

 

Deposition

 

Fig 1. Aureus of Tiberius (14-37 CE) of the Boscoreale hoard with the characteristic deep reddish toning, minted in the last years of his reign in Lyon. Obverse TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right, laurel wreath ties fall in small undulations (waves); reverse PONTIF MAXIM, Pax (or Livia as Pax) seated right on chair with decorated legs, a single line below, long scepter vertical behind in her right, branch in left, feet on footstool. Weight 7.709 gram, maximum diameter 19 mm. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr.  SH30618.

 

Fig. 2 Denarius of Hadrianus (117 – 138 CE) of the Forum Fire Hoard with a wavy fire damaged, bent flan. Minted 134-138 CE in Rome. Obverse HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right; reverse MONETA AVG, Moneta standing left holding scales and cornucopia; Weight 3.378 gram, maximum diameter 16.7 mm.  Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. RS15011.

 

Fig. 3. Two denarii of Elagabalus (218-222 CE)  and one Severus Alexander(222-235 CE), uncleaned as found in a sealed container with green patina. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. LT36716.

 

Regarding deposition circumstances, the Boscoreale hoard is a famous example. The hoard of more then thousand golden aureii was discovered in 1895 in a villa close to Pompeii. The owner buried the hoard in 79 CE in a water cistern in the wine cellar, fearing the warning sound of the Vesuvius shortly before the eruption. The intense heat of the eruption gave the coins the famous deep reddish Boscoreale patina. Unfortunately, the hoard was dispersed without being catalogued. Thanks to the typical patina, some coins are still known and incidentally offered for sale (fig 1). Another example is a burned hoard of mainly denarii, concealed around 225 CE and described in a separate Numiswiki article (the Forum Fire Hoard). The coins were found in an amalgamation: melted coins and black silver oxide on the outside formed a solid black ball. Inside the coins were still in nice condition, however, most are wavy and somewhat brittle due to the heat of the fire. About 3/4 of the 92 catalogued coins show clear traces of the fire, in many cases with a bent flan (fig 2). Another example with some indication of the burial are three denarii from the same period with a green hoard container patina (fig 3.). In most cases, for hoards from the trade, the only link to the burial circumstances are political circumstances related to the minting period of the youngest coin. As the examples show, this offers a numismatic history, here presented in a chronological sequence.

 

Hoards tell the story

 

Fig 4. The latest coin of Antiochus XII (87-84 BCE) of the Galilee hoard, a bronze hemichalkon minted in Damascus. Obverse diademed, bearded head of Antiochos XII right; reverse BASILEWS ANTIOC DIONUSO EPIFANOUS FILOPATOROS KALLINIKOU, Nike walking right, wreath in extended right, palm frond over shoulder in left, monogram in exergue. Weight 3.345 gram, maximum diameter 16.9 mm. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. GB46336.

 

Political unrest is an important reason for the existence of coin hoards. At the first place, it is an extra reason to burry the coins. And in addition, the owner may get killed and as a result not being able to recollect the hoard. For the same reason, a lost purse will not be searched after by the owner. A possible example is the Galilee hoard buried end 84 BCE or a little later, reported to be found North of lake Galilee, what fits the surrounding location of the nine mints represented in the hoard. The hoard was probably buried following the unrest after the defeat of Antiochus XII, the last strong Seleucid ruler. There were 131 bronze coins, of which 118 could be identified by Alex Malloy who acquired the hoard in 1989. The coins represent the leaders who played a role in the struggle. There were coins minted for Antiochus XII Dionysus (c. 87 – 84 BCE) who ruled the last Seleucid realm in and around Damascus. His youngest hoard coin was minted late 84 BCE in Damascus just before he was killed in a fight against the Nabateans, rulers from current Jordan who shortly after captured Damascus. One coin of Aretas III (87 – 62 BCE) is minted in Damascus right after the city was captured. Antiochus XII also did fight against the Judean kingdom in the south, and eight prutahs of their ruler Alexander Jannaeus (103 – 76 BCE) minted in Jerusalem are present in the hoard. In addition, coins of earlier rulers are present like 27 coins of Demetrius III Eucaerus (96 – 87 BCE), 8 coins of Antiochus VII Grypus (125-96 BCE) and some even older coins of Demetrius II Nikator (136-129 BCE), Antiochus VII Sidetes (138-129 BCE) and Demetrius I Soter (162- 150 BCE). The oldest coins of Antiochus III the Great (223 – 187 BCE) minted in Antioch were more then a century old when the hoard was buried. The reported find spot is about half way of the two major mints (64% of the hoard) of Damascus and Akko, the harbour on the shore of the Mediterranean see. On the same shore are mints represented in Tyre, Biblos, Sidon (all current Lebanon) and Seleucia (Syrian coast). In addition, there are coins from Damascus, Antioch, Jerusalem and the Nabatean capital Petra. The total monetary value of the 131 coins was relatively small.

 

Fig 5. A sample of 21 lead tesserae of Alexander Janneus (103-76 BCE) of a somewhat larger hoard of more then thirty of such coins (check). All of Hendin type 1155. Obverse text BASILEWS ALEXANDROU (of King Alexander), anchor upside-down inside circle; reverse Aramaic inscription, King Alexander, border of dots. In most cases, the reverse is fully worn. Offered by Forum Ancient Coins nr. JD11176 (see also LT36982, LT3567?)

 

The Jewish leader Alexander Janneus (103-76 BCE) mentioned above, minted around 80 BCE rare lead tokens (tesserae). They were issued to the poor to be redeemed for food and other commodities, mirroring the Roman distribution system. Alexander in this way hoped to gain support in his political struggle. These tesserae were for a long time very rare and not very well known. Thanks to some recent hoards, the knowledge of this interesting items has improved. Some have a dessert patina as the example shown of a group of lead tesserae from the same source (fig 5). The obverse shows in a circle an anchor upside down as hanging on the side of a boat, with around in Greek the legend BASILEWS ALEXANDROU (Basileus Alexandrou = of King Alexander). The anchor became an important symbol after Alexander Janneus conquered some of the coastal cities. The reverse, in many cases blank now, originally contained the Aramic text ‘King Alexander’ in three lines.

 

Fig 6. A group of 60 widow mites with a common shining green, pickled patina indicating the provenance of the same hoard. Introduced by Alexander Janneus around 78 BCE. Obverse star of eight rays surrounded by diadem, crude barbaric style; reverse BASILEWS ALEXANDROU (barbaric and blundered), anchor upside-down in circle. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins lot nr.  LT56705.

 

In the same period, around 78 BCE, Alexander Janneus (103 – 76 BCE) started in Jerusalem to mint very small coins, the leptons. They became known as the ‘widow mites’ because these small coins may have been referred to in the New Testament (the story of the poor widow and here small money gift to the temple, Mark 12:41). The obverse legend refers to year 25 of the reign of Alexander Janneus, meaning they were minted around 78 BCE. Many are found in large hoards (fig 6). Based on the high volumes, it has been suggested that minting continued during the reign of his wife and successor Salome Alexandra (76-67 BCE). She did not mint coins in her own name, so continuation of the coins of her husband makes sense. It could explain the large volumes, making this small coin still a very important part of the small change in the first century CE, explaining why many of these coins are quite worn. The obverse shows a star of eight rays surrounded by a diadem. The crude Aramic obverse legend refers to king Alexander and year 25. The crude reverse like the tesserea shows an anchor upside down, again with the name of the king and sometimes with the year (L) 25 (KE) near the anchor points. Many have irregular flans and in many times are off centred, sign of large volume minting. Also the old ‘bridges’ of the casted row of flans are still clearly visible at one or two sides. They still circulated in the first century CE and even occasionally in the 4th century as shown by excavations.

 

 

Fig 7. A Group of 20 Republican denarii, all of the common type with a bust on the obverse and a car with horses on the reverse, and the name of the moneyer, in this case for example D. Unius Silanus (D. SILANVS), C. Licinius LF Macer (C. LICINIVS LF MACER) and twice M. Lucilis Rufus (M. LVCILI RVF).  In  some cases ROMA below. This type was minted until 41 BCE. The three moneyers mentioned worked between 101 and 84 BCE. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. LT54755.

 

Fig. 8. A local imitation of a denarius of Tiberius from a coin hoard form India. On the obverse blundered reading of CAESAR DVI AVG F AVGVSTVS as TILLFSLRIVIAVCFAVGVSTVS. Reverse blundered reading of PONTIF MAXIM as ONIIF MANIM. Weight 3.008 gram, max diameter 18.2 mm, die-axis 180, sold by Forum Ancient Coins nr. SH20732.

 

The bronze coin hoards were of much lower value then most of the Republican silver hoards of denarii (fig 7). These silver hoards are very important for the dating of the moneyers who worked in specific years. For the hoard coins shown in fig 7 for example, moneyer Lucilius worked in 101 BCE, Silanus in 91 BCE and Licinius Macer in 84 BCE. Thanks to hoard evidence, combined with sequences deducted from overstrikes, it is possible to date the introduction of the denarius to around 211 BCE. During the first century BCE, the denarius was the main high value hoard coin. Sulla introduced the golden aureus around 85 BCE, but only Caesar started to mint some larger volumes. The denarius was also used for long distance trade, even outside the empire. An interesting example is a coin hoard from India described in a separate Numiswiki article (Triton X Hoard). Among the 175 Roman denarii of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE) and Tiberius (14 – 17 CE) the hoard contained some local imitations (fig 8). The Roman denarii were in India appreciated for their high silver content. The Roman looks of the coins functioning as a kind of quality stamp.

 

Fig 9. A hoard of 40 Greek-Illyrian drachms of the Adriatic coast, probably buried around 60-48 CE in the Balkan. Sold by Forum Ancient Coins lot nr. LT24268.

 

Fig 10. Four obverses of the hoard of fig. 9, all showing the cow suckling a calf facing to the left as minted in Apollonia. Above the cow names: NIKWN (Nikoon), MAARKOS (Maarkos), NIKHN (Niken), TIMHN (Timen). Sold by Forum Ancient Coins lot nr. LT24268.