Varga Máté: Középkori és kora újkori aranypénzek. A Kaposvári Rippl-Rónai Múzeum éremgyűjteménye 1. (Kaposvár, 2015)
Gold Coinage in Europe and Hungary
GOLD COINAGE IN EUROPE AND HUNGARY The first coins made of gold were minted in the 6th century B.C. on the territory of Lydia, Asia Minor, where the electrum-the al loy of gold and si 1 ver- staters were in circulation. A lion head, the symbol of Lydia appeared on the coins. The ancient Greeks adopted the habit ofusingmoney from Lydia: not coins, but jewels, personal belongings, church necessaries were made of gold in their country. In the Hellenistic coinage, during the reign of Philip II of Macedonia and Alexander the Great gold coins (staters) were minted again. Later, on the territory of the Roman Empire gold coins had also appeared (aurei), then in the 4th century from the reign of Constantine I solidi and tremissis (equal to one-third of a solidus) were minted. The emperor’s portrait appeared most often on the obverse of the Roman coins, his name and official titles figured in the legend. The representations on the reverse are various: gods, military insignia, arms etc. can be seen and the mint of the coinage can often be found here. The habits of the coinage in the Late Roman Empire partly continue to live in the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire. So gold coins were kept on minting (solidus) and the Byzantine golds were famous for their good quality in distant countries. The emperor’s portrait continued to appear on the obverse, but stylized. On the reverse the Victoria-representation, archangel, cross, later the emperors’s son or co-regent can be seen. The legends first had been written in Latin, then Latin and Greek alphabetical writings mixed, which were totally alternated by Greek letters in the end. The Byzantines often tried to buy the peace with money from the neighbouring nations, or to take them into their service as mercenaries against other nations. That could be the way the Byzantine gold coins got into the hands of the Avars and the Hungarians. After the Fall of the Western Roman Empire a new chronology began in Europe. The Ancient Times were changed for the Middle Ages, the Roman currency system came to an end - but its effect can be proved till centuries in more countries replaced by the denier-system during the reign of Charlemagne (in the late 7th century). Gold coins weren’t minted for centuries; they got into touch only with the gold coins of the Byzantine and Eastern countries. There were gold coins occasionally minted in Europe: Roger II (1101-1154) the Duke of Apulia minted coins around 1140 (Fig. 2-3). By the 13—14th centuries the currency system of the Carolingian-era came to a crisis, that is why new, durable, stable values were needed. This was recognised by the Italian cities at first, in consequently there was a permanent coinage in Florence from 1252 (Fig. 4). From the end of the 13th century in Venice gold coins were minted from the beginning of the reign of Giovanni Dandolo (1280-1289). This Doge introduced the minting of the golden ducats, because the rival 12
