The Hoard of Copper Coins of the Pontic State of Mithridates VI Eupator from Romny District of Sumy Region

Abstract

The purpose and scientific novelty of the article. The article focuses on the analysis of coin complex that included 19 antique (bronze) coins of Mithridates VI Eupator times and was discovered near the Sula River, between the villages of Brodok, Zasullia and urban-type settlement Nedryhailiv, Romny district, Sumy region in the summer of 2022. The Conclusion. After including of Greek apoikias of the Northern Black Sea region to the Pontus state of Mithridates VI Eupator times there appeared a significant number of copper Pontic coins in their money circulation, resulted in their spread in the Pontic Steppe region, particularly in Steppe and Forrest-Steppe zones of modern Ukraine. The detailed study of this monetary complex allowed the authors to compile its catalogue and systematize the coins according to the issue centres and the chronology of their minting. It has been determined that all 19 coins of the Pontic state of Mithridates VI Eupator from the coin hoard, which were found in the summer of 2022 near urban-type settlement Nedryhailiv, Romny district, Sumy region, constitute two consecutive groups of copper coins medium denomination B, minted in the cities of Amaseia, Amisos and Sinope. It has been determined that coins of Ares/Sword type constitute 68,42% and coins of Aegina/Nika type comprise 31,58% in the hoard composition. Concerning the minting places of these coins, though coins from Amaseia account for 5,26%, Amisos amount 84,21% and Sinope comprise 10,53%. The two classifications by F. Imhoof-Blumer and François de Callataÿ of the copper coins of Pontic State of times Mithridates VI Eupator have been analysed by the authors. It has been assumed, that Pontic coins of the medium denomination Ares/Sword type B were minted approximately in 110 – 100 BC, the type of Ares/Sword with letters IB were coined – in 100 – 90 BC, and the Aegis/Nika type were minted in 90 – 85 BC. It has been proven that the find of this coin’s hoard of the Pontic State of Mithridates VI Eupator times on the territory of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe, particularly in Romny district, Sumy region fully corresponds to the archaeological content of this region specifically archaeological finds of the materials of Zarubintsy culture and numismatic sources, which are known to the authors: coins of Scythian King Skilurus, which were minted in Olbia in 130 – 120 BC and Pontic coins. It has been highlighted that the coin finds of the 3rd-1st centuries BC on the territory of Sumy region are recorded not only in the Sula River basin and in the basins of the Seym and the Psel rivers. The monetary complex studied in the article is an important source not only of the history of the settlement of Posullia at the end of the 2nd – the beginning of the 1st century BC and the connections of the population of this region with the antique Black Sea region, but also of the history of coinage in the Pontic state during the times of Mithridates VI Eupator