A Hoard of Early Byzantine Gold Coins From Bithynia

A hoard of 81 sixth-to-seventh-century gold coins was found in 1998 during excavations conducted by the Turkish State Water Works close to Bilecik, in the region of ancient Bithynia. The hoard contains solidi and fractions of Justinian I, Justin II, Maurice, and Phocas. The majority of the coins dates from the last decades of the accumulation and includes the most interesting pieces, a 23-carat light-weight solidus of Phocas and an unusually large number of semisses and tremisses of Maurice and Phocas. Die-links observed on several coins reveal distinct stages in the creation of this savings deposit. Based on the dating of the most homogeneous groups in the hoard, the owner was probably the recipient of imperial largesse under two different emperors. The hoard was concealed and lost at the end of Phocas' reign and the historical circumstances may be related to the successful coup mounted by the Heraclii in 610.