Publicatie cu continut integral - Asociatia Tinerilor Istorici din Moldova

from the other areas, as, for example, to the north of the Danube, in Muntenia and Moldova. The bronze coin
probably appeared in the Greek world, from the second half of the 5 th century B. C. and it is intensely exploited
and emitted, starting with the 4 th century B. C., along with the gold and silver ones. Theoretically, it loses much of
its value once it leaves the market of the emitter-city, and it enjoyed its value only inside its city, as it was established
a rate of exchange due to the interests of the emitting authorities, being meant for the daily transactions.
This significant presence of the Macedonian bronze emissions in the territory between the Danube and the Black
Sea, mainly those of the type Philip II, was already recorded. Another interesting aspect is connected with the
chronological determination and with a chronological penetration sequence, a fact that is difficult to as certain.
Thus, most of the bronze coins of Philip II seem to be posthumous, in other words, issued after his death, few of
them original (a situation that goes also for the silver coins). It has already been proposed, for the penetration of
the Macedonian coin, chiefly the period of manifestation of Alexander III and then of Lysimachos.
For the moment of their penetration, we could suggest an eventual chronological sequence, expressed by their
penetration as early as the time of Philip II and then of Alexander III, but probably with intermittent appearances.
Then it was asserted that some of the pieces from the first series came with the posthumous ones in other words, a
little later than the moment of their striking. Also, we have emitted the hypothesis of their appearance only starting
with the period of Lysimachus. This last hypothesis can also be sustained if we think that, for instance in Histria,
we have discoveries of coins of the types Philip II and Alexander III, made as a result of the archaeological excavations
from sector X, in a late Hellenistic context. At the same time, we have identified the emission of didrachmas
from Histria, with some variants of initials in the interval 315-305 B. C., considered even to be a peak, for the
rhythm of the monetary production of this type in the colony, in other words, during the time of Lysimachus. This
policy is, in this respect, only a continuation of the monetary polycy of Philip II and Alexander III. It was even
suggested that the Macedonian emissions and Histrian silver emissions have cohabited, in the financial operations
thare were specific to the age, and were surrounded and utilized by the Macedonian authority for their own benefit.
Depending on certain local situations of a political and economic interest, the sporadic presence of the coins that
were emitted by the last sovereign of Thrace in the discoveries from the Pontic territory could be explained by the
fact that they do not seem to have been well-received by the Dobrudjan communities, the harsh policy lead against
the Greek cities and manifested by the loss of the their autonomy, then the revolts against the ruler of the Thracian
Kingdom, the probable ephemeral interdiction of emitting coins, are a few arguments for the explanation of a
heavy atmosphere, unpropitious from an economic point of view, with measures that were imposed by political
and economic means. Anyway, these coins of a Macedonian type have penetrated in the majority of them as an
effect of the political an military situations, and not of the economic situations, existing starting with the second
half of the 4 th century B. C. Therefore, if they fitted in, nevertheless, in the monetary mass from Dobrudja, on a
local level, then they only had an apparent circulation and not a real one.
Another feature that is characteristic to the presence of the Macedonian type of coin in Dobrudja would be, on
the opinion of E. Oberländer-Târnoveanu, the existence of imitations of some bronze coins of the types Philip II
and Alexander III, and their production was due to the Dacians from Dobrudja. The differences between them and
the original bronze coins are due, according to the same researcher, to the difference of style (very coarse), and to
the absence of the legend.
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© Gabriel TAlMAţChI,, 2008