Professional paper

Pre-Imperial coins from Kolovare beach in Zadar

Vjekoslav Kramberger

Abstract

The paper deals with pre-Imperial coins from the area of the city of Zadar, more precisely accidental finds of currency circulating in pre-Roman Zadar. They were found in the shallow sea, at a depth of only two meters, at Kolovare city beach over the course of several years, more precisely from summer 2011 until 2016. This part of Kolovare beach is a fill deposited after clearing devastated peninsula, most likely by filling with soil and construction waste from the area of present-day Forum and its vicinity. Twenty eight numismatic finds have been analyzed of which 23 coins and five examples of the Roman proto-money – two pieces of cast bronze in a certain shape – aes formatum, a fragment of ramo secco type, then two (assumed) pieces of amorphous bronze – aes rude, also examples of the Republican proto-money. It is evident from the catalogue that the coins of the Roman Republic and of the north African cities Numidia and Carthage are most numerous, then follow the coins of the Illyrian king Gentius, two monetary exam­ples of the Illyrian city of Dyrrachium and Greek coins. Coin of the Celtiberian city of Segobriges is a novelty in pre-Imperial numis­matics in our region. All coins date to the period between the 3rd century BC and the very beginning of the 1st century AD, when Zadar was one of more important centers of the Liburnians, until the Roman dominance on the eastern Adriatic coast at the turn of the millennium. The oldest coins from this period were found in a number of Liburnian settlements in northern Dalmatia and they were published. One of the aims of this paper is to pinpoint Zadar once more as an important Liburnian center on the map of distribution of pre-Imperial coins that were in circulation before the Roman conquest.

Keywords

Iader; pre-Imperial coins; Numidia; Carthage; Roman Republic; Gentius; Dyrrachium; Celtiberian coins; Segobriges; ramo secco; Zadar; Kolovare; Graeco-Illyrian coins

Hrčak ID:

237152

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/237152

Publication date:

21.4.2020.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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