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Copyright of Studia Academica Šumenensia is the property of Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The relationship between numismatic research and archaeological stratigraphy is one of the most significant resources for defining the economic and social mechanisms of the Middle Ages. A numismatic assemblage comprising 146 coins – mostly unpublished – recovered from the late sixth-century Visigothic settlement of Reccopolis in Guadalajara, Spain, is the focus of this study. Through characterisation of the deposits and monetary finds it has been possible to establish a contextual interpretation in which indicators of durability, continuity and rituality in the use of currency can be observed. In connection with this, a substantial number of coins have been found concentrated in specific sectors of the site, especially in the neighbourhood of the church, where the foundational value of some hoards has been reinterpreted. This study establishes a constant connection between chronological dating and stratigraphic contextualisation, exploring the complex periods of continuity in use of certain specimens, while also stressing the importance of interpreting coinage within wider material assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this issue of the chronicle we publish the Medieval coins, which are kept in the collection of the "Constantin Mihai" Museum, from the "Ion Neculce" Theoretical High School in Târgu Frumos. The coins have been discovered over time in the localities around the town of Târgu Frumos (Iași County): Principality of Moldavia (1 pc.): Ștefan I, gros, 1433-1435; Ottoman Empire (2 pcs.): Mehmed II, akçe, 1451-1461; Mustafa III, para, 1764/1765; Kingdom of Hungary (2 pcs.): Hunyadi Mátyás, denár, 1471-1481 (1), 1479-1485 (1); Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Polish Crown (3 pcs.): Zygmunt I Stary, grosz, 1548 (1); Zygmunt III Waza, szeląg, 1626 (1), trojak, 1599 (1); Lithuania (7 pcs.): Aleksander I Jagiellończyk, pólgrosz, 1501-1506; Zygmunt II August, pólgrosz, 1557 (1), 1558 (1), 1560 (1), 1561 (2), 1565 (1); Ryga (city) (1 pc.): Zygmunt III Waza, trojak, 1593; Gdańsk (1 pc.): Zygmunt III Waza, ort, 1626; Holy Roman Empire: Kingdom of Hungary (4 pc.): Ferdinand I, denar, 1553; Maximilian II, denar, 1578; Rudolf II, denar, 1589; Ferdinand II, denar, 1629; Branderburg-Prussia (1 pc.): Georg Wilhelm, Schilling, 1626; Kampen (imperial city) (1 pc.): Leeuwendaalder, 1649; Swedish Empire (1 pcs.): Ryga (city): Krystyna, Schilling, 1637; Austrian Empire (1 pc.): Franz I, 3 Kreuzer, 1815. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research is focused on the 3-Polker coins issued during 1619–1627 by Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland. A major financial crisis took place at that time due to the 30-year War, which started in 1619. There are two theories among historians concerning the silver depreciation of these coins. The most common theory (generally accepted without proof) is that the later years of issue are depreciated below 60% Ag. The second theory is based on the medieval sources that indicate inflation during the years from 1621–1625, but the medieval source only refers to the inflation of the type of coins and does not mention the issuer. Therefore, in this study, we use modern investigation techniques and materials science methods to help historians elucidate the aforementioned aspects regarding the medieval period. The XRD investigation results are in good agreement with the SEM-EDX elemental analysis. The coins from 1619 and 1620 have high silver content, namely, 86.97% and 92.49%, which corresponds to good silver. The amount of Ag found in the coins from 1621–1625 issituated in the range of 63.2–74.6%. The silver titleis suddenly restored in 1626 at about 84.3% and is kept in a good range until the end of this decree under Sigismund III in 1627. In conclusion, the second theory was partly validated by our experimental results, certifying the currency depreciation during 1621–1625, but the silver title was not lower than 54.2%. Notably, even this depreciated silver title assures a good quality of the 3-Polker coins compared to similar coins issued in other countries that were copper–silver-plated. Therefore, the 3-Polker coins were preferably hoarded at that time.Small alterations in the mint mark's design were observed in all the depreciated coins compared to the good ones. This might be a sign for an expert to identify the depreciated coins, a fact which requires supplementary investigations. The silver title's restoration in 1626 also came with a complete change of the mintmark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Numismática Hécate is the property of Revista Numismatica Hecate and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Numismática Hécate is the property of Revista Numismatica Hecate and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the social significance and functions of gold and silver coinage in the early Middle Ages. It is suggested that although coinage was limited in quantity, it nonetheless became associated with complex social functions. Details on the relationship between coinage and metal supply are presented. Other topics include coin circulation, high-value currency, and the role of currency in elite power and local relationships.

Copyright of Archeologické Rozhledy is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coinage occupies an unusual position in archaeological research. Thriving scholarship on numismatics and monetary history ensures that the objects themselves are well-studied, often seen as an indication of chronology and of stylistic and commercial links. Yet coins might also be analysed as artefacts, and explored as part of the symbolic world of material culture through which archaeologists understand meaning and value in past societies. Using a recently-excavated assemblage of medieval Kilwa-type coins from Songo Mnara on the East African Swahili coast, this article explores the multiple ways that value was ascribed and created through use, rejecting a simple dichotomy between substantive and formal value. Attention is given to the contexts of the coins, which enables a discussion of the relationship between power and the constitution of value, the circulation and use of coins among townspeople, and their use within ritual and commemorative activity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article compares different means of representing the images of rulers on coins during the early Middle Ages. The author relates the use of such royal images as a form of propaganda that is reflective of theological debates on the propriety of visual representations exemplified by the Byzantine controversy over Islam's prohibition on figurative imagery. Transcultural comparisons are made among sources from Byzantium, the Latin West, and the 7th and 8th century Muslim caliphates of the Umayyads and the Abbasids.

Analysis of coin finds in an area of NE. England employs and modifies methods developed for Iron-age and Romano-British assemblages alongside quantitative analysis developed specifically for Anglo-Saxon coinages. The results illustrate that observed patterns of coin loss do represent the overall coin loss for the study area, and sites can be confidently compared to each other and the region as a whole. The role and function of coinage apparently changes dramatically over the period from a medium of long-distance trade in the early period to a cash currency by the Viking takeover of York. A review of 'productive sites' suggests that these sites can only be adequately interpreted through analysis of their assemblages against the background of the regional circulation of coinage and artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coins and other numismatic finds from some 270 locations across Scotland are listed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]