Introduction to the Numismatics of Thrace, ca. 530 BCE–46 CE.

This chapter provides a selective review of the numismatic evidence from the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods in Thrace, offering a point of departure for future study. The main denominations and issuing authorities of coins, which appeared in Thrace from the late sixth to late first centuries BCE, are summarized, with emphasis on the hoard evidence. The main historical and socio-cultural issues that have emerged from the nature of the coinage and the mechanisms of its circulation are considered. Thracian royal and tribal coinages are briefly outlined and depicted statistically in tables and charts. A plate with a selection of coins, tables of minting cities and kings in Thrace, and informative stemmata are provided to assist the reader.