Original scientific paper
Recent finds of Graeco-Illyrian coins from northern Dalmatia
Mato Ilkić
orcid.org/0000-0001-6748-639X
; University of Zadar, CROATIA, 23000 Zadar
Lucijana Šešelj
; Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Rijeka, CROATIA, 51000 Rijeka
Abstract
The text contains a publication of Graeco-Illyrian
coins that have been found mostly in the recent past
at numerous sites in northern Dalmatia. Some coins
have been found in the archaeological field surveys
and excavations, and stored in different institutions.
Individual chance finds are held in several private
collections. There are 52 coins, mostly dating from the Hellenistic era. Most of these numismatic finds
have not been systematically analyzed within the subject
of monetary circulation in the territory of southern
Liburnia and neighbouring regions. They belong
to a group which appeared in this area at a relatively
late date, particularly in comparison with the huge quantity
of coins from northern Africa, mostly Carthage
and Numidia. Despite this, it is interesting that the
coins from all Greek colonies in Dalmatia (Pharos,
Heracleia, Issa and Korkyra) were represented in southern
Liburnia. There are also coins from the southern
Greek colonies in present-day Albania (Dyrrhachium
and Apollonia) and those of the Illyrian rulers Gentius
and Ballaios. Even though these coins make only
a small percentage within the structure of those monetary
systems whose currency circulated during the
Late Iron Age, their presence is certainly an intriguing
indicator of the links between northern Dalmatia and
the Greek colonies in the southern part of the eastern
Adriatic, as well as contacts with the Illyrian Kingdom.
These Graeco-Illyrian coins therefore represent
a significant professional and scholarly contribution
to the study of various numismatic problems such as
typology, distribution, and provenance, as well as the
problems of trade and cultural ties, particularly during
the Hellenistic era.
Keywords
northern Dalmatia; southern Liburnia; Graeco-Illyrian coins; Apollonia; Dyrrhachium; Pharos; Heracleia; Issa; Korkyra; Gentius; Ballaios
Hrčak ID:
193077
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2017.
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