SZ. BURGER ALICE: LATE ROMAN MONEY CIRCULATION IN SOUTH-PANNONIA / Régészeti Füzetek II/22. (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Budapest, 1981

LATE ROMAN MONEY CIRCULATION IN SOUTH-PANNONIA

The years 346-35

4 were years of bitter struggle for power between Constans and Constantius II. In 350 Constantius II ultimately emerged victorious but his monarchical rule achieved by blood and fratricide was soon disturbed by the usurpation of Magnentius (Decentius) in the West, and the brief appearance of Vetranio at the Balkans. From the year 346 onwards the customary system of value of the coins changed, together with the reverse types. ^ From that time onwards only the nominals of AE 2 and AE 3 occur in our material. The changed reverse type of coins is an extremely large variation of FEL TEMP REPARATIO. In my material eleven variants could be identified. These were produced in extremely large quantities for Constantius II and for the Caesars, i.e. C. Gallus and Julian. I could show that the process, which could be observed in the earlier years (regarding the coordination of the work of the mints) continued to expand, moreover, there appeared differences not only in the reverse types but even in the case of the production of coins of the value of AE 2 and AE 3, particularly between the Eastern mints of SIS - THE. In connection with the year 346 PEKÁRY

8 refers to Cod. Th. 9,23,k when it dates "the delivery of an amount bigger than 1000 follis for commercial purposes" to the year 346. The same Constitutio is dated by R. ALFÖLDI 4 and OVERBECK 5 to the year 356. The situation of the "pecunia maiorina" in the Empire is regulated by the decree of the Cod. Th. 9,21,6 in February 349, KRAFT. 8 Between the years 346-3 5

0 the AE 1/2 and AE 2/3 coins of Magnentius and Decentius from the mints of LUG, TRE, ROM can be found in our material, though in a limited number. At the same time only the coins of Constantius II, C, Gallus and Vetranio got into circulation in the East. The coins of Vetranio were struck only by the mints of SIS and THE. The coins of the years of 350-353 were found mainly at PERBÁL, in the closed finds of ÁRPÁS, KAZSOK, MÁROK, and ÖCSÖD; in the material of the town of SOPIANAE (Pécs) and of its cemetery, in the cemetery of TRICCIANA (Ságvár) in the so-called "warrior's graves" (Baranya county). Between the years 350- 35

3 the production of the mints of Gaul and of the East had grown considerably: the mints of THE, CON, CYZ had a production of almost identical quantity (Fig. 20). As compared to an earlier period, the mints of ROM and AQU were producing more, but the greatest volume was struck by SIS between the years 349-352. In the years 352-354 here a minor setback took place. On the basis of the thoroughly processed data of the periods between 350-35

3 and 351 -354 respectively the closed finds (Fig. 8-9) and the monetary circulation of cemeteries (Fig. 11) show identical trends, whereas of the graphs of settlements only that of Sopianae shows similarities with the above ones, the graphs of Perbál and Ács-Vaspuszta - knowing their narrow time limit - naturally differ spectacularly from the others (Fig. 20. ). Between the years 346-354 the annual monetary circulation was 202 pieces (Figs. 27., 65.). The monetary circulation of the years 355-36

4 constitutes 32 per cent of early PHASE A. The death of Constantius II, the short reign of Julian, the activities of Jovian hardly extending to a year, and the beginning of the reign of Valentinian I may be listed among the events of these ten turbulent years. As against the annual average of 202 pieces between 346-354 it was 147 between 354-361, and dropped to 19 only between 361-364 (Fig. 65.). This definite decrease in quantity shows an interesting distribution within the various types of sites: in SOPIANAE (Pécs) monetary circulation was most balanced in that period (Fig. 10), on the graph of the cemeteries the curves were moving downwards from the high values of the earlier years (Fig. 11). The curves of the small and big closed finds show the highest values of early PHASE A (Figs. 8-9). But all graphs agree in, that the value curves uniformly and suddenly drop almost to the base line around the year 362. Between the years 355-36

4 five reverse types were in circulation (in the value of AE 1, AE 3 and AE 4) (Figs. 27., 64.). According to the data of the study of the distribution by Emperors the coins of Constantius II standing at the highest in the years 351-354 drop lower in 355, stagnate there until 359, when for a year they rise somewhat (Fig. 7). At the same time the coins of Julian enrich the image of monetary circulation at a very high level from 354 onwards. Julian's reform of the mints in the year 36

3 falls within the period of the extremely low level of the years 362-364. 7 The order promulgated in the year 363 introduced a series of reductions in the functioning of officináé. 8 The short reign of Julian also falls within the years 362-364. Besides the campaign against the Persians, almost all of his activities were aimed at the restoration of Paganism. In the already strengthened religious, legal and social position of Christianity these critical three years caused extreme insecurity of existence. Thus an explanation to the dropping graphs of these years can be found partly in the reduction of the officináé, partly in the general insecurity of existence and in the events of the Eastern wars. Between the years 355-36

4 the value and reverse type of the coins changed once more. The AE 2 was no more in circulation, only the AE 3 value retained its leading role. Bronze coins of 1 51