JEWELRY MADE FROM GOLD COINS IN THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF THE POPULATION OF THE NORTHERN BLACK SEA REGION, THE UKRAINIAN STEPPE, AND THE FOREST-STEPPE (4th century BC – early 3rd century AD)

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to investigate the problem of the use of ancient coins as ornaments by the population of the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe in the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD. Methodology: In the course of the research, the authors employed a range of general scientific, historical, and numismatic methods. Particular attention was paid to the descriptive research method. That is, the authors sought to provide a detailed and accurate account of the numismatic artifacts of the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD discovered in the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe that “survived” the process of demonetization, i.e., the transformation of a coin from a means of payment into an ornament. The scientific novelty: For the first time, the article analyzes a series of gold ornaments made from coins as objects of jewelry art in unity with the numismatic artifacts that served as the basis for their production. The use of numismatic imagery from the coins of the Bosporan Kingdom in the manufacture of gold plaques by Scythian craftsmen is also examined. The Conclusions: In the course of this study, the authors analyzed the finds from the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe of 30 coins dating from the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD that were transformed into ornaments (amulets), as well as a number of gold plaques imitating the coins of Panticapaeum. Information about these finds is contained in diverse sources: museum websites, scholarly works, the “Coins of Bospor” catalogue-archive website, and metal-detecting forums. Part of the information regarding the finds of “demonetized” coins was obtained personally by the authors from local historians. Taken together, this evidence made it possible to form a comprehensive understanding of the use of gold coins and their imitations in the material culture of the population of the Northern Black Sea region, the Ukrainian Steppe, and the Forest-Steppe in the 4th century BC – early 3rd century AD.

Keywords: non-monetary uses of coins, coins as amulets, Greek coin-set jewellery, gold plaques.