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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Tejas, post: 3121885, member: 84905&quot;]As I said, I have more than 20 imitative gold coins from the area of modern Ukraine, which I think, can with some justification, be attributed to the Goths. Here are pictures of two of the coins from my collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both coins imitate Roman aureii of the late 3rd century (possibly Diocletian and Probus) and were probably produced around AD 300 to 325. Goths had served in the Roman army since at least AD 200. They received gold coins as donativum and once they returned to their homelands, wore such a gold coins around their necks as prestigious sign that they had served the Empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>Apparently, the practice of awarding gold coins to loyal and distinguished warriors caught on with local chieftains and without a steady supply of official gold coins, they resorted to minting their own.</p><p><br /></p><p>The practice continued right to the late 4th century and seemed to have moved with the Goths to the west, where imitative Roman solidi and multiples were found in hoards in Romania and Hungary.</p><p><br /></p><p>The fact, that these coins were not circulating money can be gauged from the fact that the same dies were used to produce pure gold and plated coins. Often the pure gold coins are even overweight. I have one imitative aureus that weighs around 12 grams.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is interesting to note, that the holes are often (not always and there are also suspension loops) placed and executed relatively carelessly. These coins were not worn for their image. It was just enough to display a gold pendant that looked like a Roman coin. </p><p><br /></p><p>In fact, one may speculate that the holing of the coin may have been part of the act of presenting it by a warlord to his retinue. But that is speculation.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Best</p><p>Dirk</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]794533[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]794535[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]794536[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]794538[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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