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

SUMMARY The coins of identified sites in Brigetio are composed of scattered coins (from excavations also), hoards and graves, The groups were treated strictly separately. Besides some Greek, Celtic, and Roman Republican coins we can count on imperial coins in Brigetio from 14 A.D. Only a few scattered ones, mainly bronzes, appear until Nero. The number of coins increase from Vespasian on, and even denarii appear. From the end of the 1st century A.D. we can count on an ever increasing number of coins until Commodus. This is due to the construction of the legionary camp, permanent militia, soldier's pay, commerce and the civilian settlement in Brigetio. The decreasing number of scattered coins between 129 and 131 A. D. , or rather the hiding of Find No. II, closing between 132 and 134 A. D. show the Quad movements. Brigetio is developing during the middle of the 2nd century A. D. This is proven by the increasing number of scattered coins, in accord with the results of ecavations. The hoard, hidden in 167 A. D. , indicates the Markoman wars. The second period of the war taxes the camp even more (its first destruction), which shows itself in the lack of scattered coins during Commodus, and in the aureus find (Find No. I) where there is a coin lack between 177 and !9o A. D. The number of coins gradually increase from Septimius Severus on, the majority of these are denarii. The hiding of the aureus find between 195 and 211 A. D. can be brought into connection with the offensive of the Goths. Inflation is increasing, the silver content of the denarii is decreasing, and there are few bronze coins. Greek colonial coins and medailons appear, due to the settling of eastern population, and the return of legionaries from the east. The amount of coinage shows a gradual increase with a few temporary slow-downs. The antoniniani are general even among the scattered coins from Gordian III on. There are some fakes of 2nd century coins also, but most of them were struck between the period of Septimius Severus to Gordian III. Mostly denarii and antoniniani were imitated in bronze, billon, or subaeratus forms. Coins from outside Rome appear with Septimius Severus, thus from Antioch, Emesa, Laodicaea ad Mare, and later the bronzes of Viminacium, until the middle of the century. The overpowering number of coins from Rome remain the same until the end of the century. The hoard closing in 251 A. D. (No. Ill) shows the increasing unrest of the middle of the 3rd century A»D. Hoards do not accompany the difficult years of 258 to 26o A. D. (Roxolan offensive, counter-caesars). Three antoniniani indicate coin production for the short reign of Regalianus. Due to inflation, the increasing influx of money, during the second part of the 3rd century A. D. does not mean an increase in value as well. The increasing coinage of Aurelian can be well seem in the material from graves too. 26