The dataset and article focus on a hoard of late Roman solidi, including solidus imitations, found in Karsibór on Usedom (Uznam) Island in West Pomerania. My work analyzes the history of the hoard's discovery and the subsequent fate of the coins, some of which went missing after the initial discovery. Due to World War II, most of the coins from the deposit were lost; only eight of them, including one solidus imitation, are currently stored in the National Museum in Szczecin.
In the paper, I pose several research questions: (I) the fate of the coins from the hoard, (II) the origin of the hoard and the potential direction of its influx, (III) the reason for the presence of the solidus imitation in the hoard, (IV) the origin of the imitation found in the hoard, (V) the possibility of other solidus imitations in the hoard, and (VI) the chronology of the hoard.
To reconstruct the discovery circumstances and the fate of the coins, I analyzed archival sources and the first publications about the deposit. I concluded when and why some coins went missing, who sold them, and who purchased some pieces before they were lost track of. Regarding the origin of the hoard, I concluded that it was most likely brought from the North, from Scandinavia (Gotland), due to its similarity to finds known from Gotland, particularly the largest known Gotlandic hoard from Botes. This conclusion contrasts with the previously accepted consensus that late Roman solidi flowed from the South to the North only.
I also concluded that the solidus imitation found in the hoard is die-identical to a find from Gotland (Kyrkeby), which supports my hypothesis concerning the influx from the North to Pomerania. Furthermore, since Kyrkeby lies in close proximity to Botes, it is possible that the Karisbór hoard could have been part of this larger hoard before it was deposited. If this hypothesis holds true, it is likely that more imitative or pseudo-imperial coins were originally deposited in the Karisbór hoard but have since gone missing.
I established the chronology of the hoard to the beginning of the 6th century, making the Karisbór hoard one of the latest deposits known from the Polish part of Barbaricum. This find suggests that during the Migration Period, this area was not entirely deserted. The Karisbór hoard also demonstrates the existence of gold circulation in the Baltic region, likely facilitated through gift-exchange practices.
(2024-05-19)
