COLLECTIONS

Numismatic Collection

The Numismatic Collection of the Archaeological Museum of Istria is an important source for studying the monetary and economic history of the Istrian peninsula, comprising more than 7,000 specimens of currency from the pre-Roman period to the modern era.

Request access to materials Contacts

Information:

Erika Trbojević

Department:

Department of Archaeology

Roman denarius of Gaius Julius Caesar

Unknown findspot, 49-48 BC

Roman denarius of Octavian (Augustus)

Unknown findspot, 29-27 BC

Roman republican as (aes grave)

Unknown findspot, 225-217 BC

Roman nummus of Constantine I, Centur

307-310 AD

Ostrogothic ½ siliqua of King Vitiges

Modrušani, 536-540 AD

Ostrogothic tremissis of King Vitiges

Pula, 536-540 AD

Byzantine follis of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus

Unknown findspot, 920-944 AD

Bronze coin of Carthage

Valalta, 264-241 BC

Denarius of the Aquileian Patriarchate, Antonio II Panciera

Sveti Petar u Šumi, 1402-1411

Salzburg pfennig, Johann II von Reisberg

Dvigrad, 1429-1441

Byzantine coin hoard

Senj near Buzet, 1118-1203

Part of Roman bronze coin hoard

Čentur, late 3rd and first decade of 4th century AD

Roman imperial sestertii with depictions of emperors

1st-3rd century AD

Roman imperial sestertii with depictions of empresses

2nd-3rd century AD

Selected specimens from the Radić collection

The Numismatic Collection of the Archaeological Museum of Istria represents a reference collection for the study of the economy and monetary history of the Istrian peninsula. It was created through archaeological research, donations, and purchases, and today it includes more than 7,000 specimens of paper and metal currency. The collection is continuously supplemented, which increases its scientific and museological significance.

Chronologically, the collection covers the period from pre-Roman to modern times. The oldest coins belong to the Greco-Hellenistic and, to a lesser extent, the Celtic period. The most numerous and most represented are Roman coins, which cover the time frame from the Republic to late antiquity and the fall of the Empire. Byzantine, medieval, Venetian, and modern era specimens are also represented.

The scope of the collection includes the collection, analysis, protection, and presentation of currency issues that circulated in Istria over the centuries. Special emphasis is placed on the context of the find, i.e., provenance, which allows for a deeper understanding of the economic and political processes on the peninsula.
Among the most important sites is the locality of Čentur near Koper, where a hoard of about 26,000 late antique coins was found. Although most of the hoard has been dispersed, more than 2,000 specimens are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Istria. This is the largest known hoard of its kind in the region, and its importance is due to the fact that it clearly reflects the complex social and economic circumstances of late antiquity. The scientific processing of this hoard provides valuable insights into the economic history of the northern Adriatic.