Correlation of two chronological distributions of the extant Roman bronze coins

Svilena Hristova ; Jordan Tabov

Review of the National Center for Digitization, Tome 12 (2008), p. 114

Résumé

We present a comparison of two chronological distributions of coins, minted in the period AD 50-500: 1. The chronological distribution of the coins, excavated in Bulgaria and published in the Proceedings of the (Bulgarian) Archaeological Society (PAS) during the period 1910�1920 and in the Proceedings of the (Bulgarian) Archaeological Institute (PAI) during the period 1921�1959. The studied material consists of over 280000 coins from more than 1050 coin finds, which in our view is large enough to give an adequate picture in a first approximation of the chronological distribution of all coins excavated in the Bulgarian lands during the period 1910�1959. 2. The chronological distribution of the extant Roman bronze coins, on the base of the information about their prices from the catalogue of David Sear �Roman Coins and Their Values�. The high correlation of these two chronological distributions leads to the conclusion that they both give a good approximation of the real distribution of the extant Roman coins from the stated period AD 100�500, and in particular that the coin finds from the territory of present Bulgaria give a good representation for the general picture of the coin finds from the territory of the whole Roman Empire. On our opinion it also gives a plausible picture of the monetary circulation in the Eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula during the different historical periods.