BÍRÓ-SEY KATALIN: COINS FROM IDENTIFIED SITES OF BRIGETIO AND THE QUESTION OF LOCAL CURRENCY / Régészeti Füzetek II/18. (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Budapest, 1977)
I. INTRODUCTION
As scattered coins we have the antoniniani and the argentei, and the follis after the reform of Diocletian (64/ll3 2-1155). A similar composition is shown by the coins of Maximianus I Herculius ( 65 /ll56-ll85) and Constantius I Chlorus ( 66 /I186-II94) who only has one follis among the scattered coins and one argenteus. Maximinus Daia ( 66 /l2o7-l2l7) and Maxentius ( 67 /l2l7-i22o) are represented strictly by follis. The number of yearly average rises slightly during the mid 290s but it stays generally low until 3io A. D. There are two gold hoard of Brigetio from the end of the 3rd century A. D. Even the excavations point to the fact that the camp was devastated during the Tetrarchy. The situation in Pannónia was anarchic as a result of the wars and the bad economic conditions at the time Diocletian began his rule. It seems that the attack of the Sarmathians along the northern limes brought along with it a movement of the Quads and z c Markomans at the Lower Danube , because there are two hidden coin hoards from this period in Brigetio. One of them (Find. No. IV) closes with two Maximianus I Herculius aurei in mint condition, struck in 287 A. D. ( 134/6-7, fig. 126-127) which were most probably produced at the mint in Siscia. The hoard was found next to the praetorium of the camp, its hiding could be dated to the end of the 280s A. D. 6 7 The other gold find (Find No. V) contained aurei, gold medailons, and argentei too. The silver coins got lost, we only know the description of a few of them. Because of unsatisfactory identification they cannot be used from a chronological point of view. A medalion of Diocletian with CONSERVAT AVGG Y 8 ET 1111 CO S reverse inscription dates the piece, thus the whole find, to 293 A. D. The hiding of the hoard must have happened at this date or slightly later. The devastatiton of the camp occurred at this time also. The camp is rebuilt, but in lesser construction than the earlier one. The archaeological excavations do not bring too much to light, until the next devastation period under Valentinian. The yearly average number of coins is on the increase around 3oo A. D. , it varies between 4 and 12 impressions. By the end of the decade there is a decline again, and the yearly average drops to 2. There is a gradual increase during the years of the 3lOs A. D. , reaching a peak by the middle of the decade, and then it shows a decreasing tendency until 336 A. D. The years of 32o and 32l A. D. are again outstanding, which fall during the mutual reign of Licinius I (67 /l22l-l264) and Constantine the Great ( 68 /i265-l52l). There is little footing concerning the value of money. This period is ruled by the follis and its smaller forms, introduced by Diocletian. There are data about the changes of size and weight of the follis, but almost nothing about its changing value. Although the price-fixing-policy of Diocletian sets the price of the different products, but how this has been applied practically, is not known. A certain stabilizing characterizes the rule of the Constantine dynasty, which can be measured by the scattered coins from 33o A. D. on. The incerasing tendency of the global amount of money between 3io and 375 A. D. is doubtless. There is little falling back towards the end of the 32os. Then follow the great number of impressions of Constantine II ( 72 /1522), Constans ( 72/l523-1587), and Constantius II ( 73 /I588-I775). The impressions of the latter one become rarer towards the end of the 340s A. D. There is another decline towards the end of the 35os A. D.
