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

coins is 2, but during the early jOOs anc. the coins can be noticed. At the same time there ber of denarii have increased in the material middle is also also. llOs A. D. outstanding number of a rise in value, because the numDuring the Dacian war of Trajan the legio I. adiutrix leaves here, occupies Dacia, then later takes part in Trajan' s eastern war. Only during Hadrian do they return, and build their new camp here to stay here for another three hundred years. ^ The rise in currency during the early lOOsA.D. is due to the pay of the legionaries of the legio XI. Claudia stationed here. 2

3 During the reign of Hadrian there is a considerable increase in the influx of money (45 /l6l-226). B

u

t the years of 129 to I3l A. D. show a definite decrease. This shows itself undoubdtedly in the scattered material (Figs. XIV, XVI, XVII) and even in the aureus find (Fig. X) as well. This rise can also be connected, next to the pay of the militia, with the building of the camp during Hadrian. 2

3 The decline of scattered coins between 129 and 131 A. D. is more difficult to explain. Although there is a coin find which came to light on the via sagularis of the camp (Find. No. II) and closes with the dupondii of Hadrian (RIC 717, 718, and 73o), which were struck between 132 and 134 A. D. This find must have got underground later than the lack showing in the scattered coins, and marks the offensive ' 28 which caused the finds of Tiszanagyrev and Intercisa to get underground. The age of the Old Buda, Selmeci Street coin find connects with the leek of the scattered coins of Szőny, ^ and points to an even earlier movement on the part of the Quad . -u 3o tribes. During the rule of Antoninus Pius (47/227-3o9) bronze coins represented the majority, there are only ten denarii in the scattered material. The influx of money during Marcus Aurelius (48/3lo393) can be characterized similarly, there are a very few denarii. During this period, until l7o A. D. the number of coins are generally on the increase. There are some years with outstanding averages. The first period of the Markoman wars between 164 and 169 A. D. , which is marked by the hiding of a denarii hoard in Brigetio

2*, cannot be noticed on the graph of the scattered coins. The yearly averages do not fall below of that of the previous years. The last impression of the mentioned hoard is a Marcus Aurelius denarius with TR POT XXI IMP IUI COS III reverse insciption, which can be dated to 167 A. D. 3

2 According to this the date for this hoard getting underground must be this or a slightly later date. The number of impressions decreases between the years 167 and 171 A. D. in the aureus find. The previous yearly average of 2 becomes o, I. The new war in 173 A. D. can already be noticed in the circulation of money. The yearly average decreases remarkably in 177 A. D. , but this continues in the following years too. In l8o A. D. currency almost ceases, until l9o A. D the yearly average shows a very low figure. The three burnt layers of the camp of Szőny mark the devastation during Marcus Aurelius

2

2, which is also shown in the lack of currency after the war. Almost half of the impressions of Commodus (5o/394-4o9) are denarii, and this is surprising compared to the previous periods, where denarii have been rare. The aureus find also reflects the lack of money after the war, there is not a single coin in it for the years between 177 and l9o A. D. The find shows a considerable continuity and identity with the scattered material of the second third of the 2d century A. D. 9