MAIASP. 2022. No. S1

D.V. Andriyevskiy (Saint Petersburg, Russia), M.M. Choref (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)

Roman denarii from the BaYdar Valley (Crimea)

DOI: 10.53737/2713-2021.2022.47.63.009

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Pages: 211—220

In 2008—2013, five Roman denarii were found in the Baydar Valley. The latest coin entered circulation under Vespasian, while the rest were minted on behalf of magistrates and generals under the Late Republic. The earliest denarius was issued in 111 or 110 BCE by Appius Claudius Pulcher, T. Manlius Macin (Mancin?) and Q. Urbinus; it was discovered near the Skelе Cave together with fragments of a Scythian hand formed bowl. Nearby, they found a coin issued in honor of the Legio IV Scythica by Marcus Antonius. Another artifact of this type bearing emblems of the Legio III Cyrenaica was found in the southern part of the valley together with the denarius of G. Julius Caesar of the type known as ‘Venus and Aeneas carrying Anchises and Palladium’, as well as with fragments of a Late Scythian short-stem small bowl. The coin of Vespasian was found without accompanying archaeological material. All Republican denarii are worn to varying degrees, but not perforated. Our conclusion is that the locals valued these coins for the precious metal they contained, so they must have been used as votives. The latest coin in the sample could have been brought to the peninsula by Roman legionnaires and used as a real circulating medium.

Key words: archaeology, history, numismatics, Baydar Valley, Crimea, Roman denarii.

Received October 22, 2022

Accepted for publication November 9, 2022

About the authors:

Andriyevskiy Denis Vadimovich (Saint Petersburg, Russia). Russian Geographical Society

E-mail: rgo@rgo.ru

Choref Mikhail Mikhailovich (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). PhD (History), Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod

E-mail: choref@yandex.ru