4. "Premonetary sign of the type 'wheel', Histria, approx. 420-400 BCE."

Over 2,700 years ago, the founding of Greek cities on the Black Sea coast and the increase in exchanges with the local population led to the widespread appearance of premonetary bronze signs. These precursors to the coin, of different shapes, were produced by casting in Greek cities, intended to facilitate trade relations. They have been dated by specialists like B.Pick (who compiled a catalog of Istrian coins) or C.Preda between the middle of the fifth century and the middle of the fourth century BC.. It is assumed that they were issued after the removal from circulation of the arrow tips and certainly used as a divisional coin for the silver drachmas. These coins, mostly made by casting, evidenced by the fact that some specimens still retain a small sprue remaining from the hole for the metal to drain into the mold, vary greatly in weight and diameter. Constantin Preda, in his work The History of Coin in Pre-Roman Dacia, classified them into five groups, depending on diameter and weight.

Dimensions

custom d=15 mm

Description

bronze

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