Pages: 411-424

Casting of Chersonesos coins was started by Vasily I and continued by the subsequent rulers. Impressive circulation leads to a decrease in casting quality. A completely different situation in Bulgaria, where neither the official coinage nor the casting of coins during the First Bulgarian Kingdom was witnessed. The first known cast replicas of Byzantine coins were anonymous folisses of class A-2 (976—1035). That is why molding imitations of Byzantine follises of the beginning of 10th century, raises important and interesting questions. Most coins are cast of bronze and are imitations of Byzantine folisses. In this paper, 36 coins were included, 17 of which were found in the production center of the village of Novosel, and 17 more in a center in the vicinity of the village of Zlatar. Coins include the folisses of Leo VI (866—912), Roman I Lecapenos (920—944), Constantine VII (920—931), Constantine VII and Zoe (914—919), Constantine VII and Roman II (950—959). Ceramics and coins define the activity of all centers of artistic metalwork up to the 70s of the 10th century.

Keywords: Bulgaria, 10th century, production complexes, Nowosel, Zlatar, bronze coins, folisses, imitation

Information about author:

Stela Doncheva (Shumen, Bulgaria). Doctor of History. National Institute of Archaeology, Shumen Branch. General Toshev St., 4, Shumen, 9700, Bulgaria
E-mail: [email protected]