The dataset comprises photographic and cartographic documentation associated with the study of gold and gold-plated imitations of Late Roman coins from the Eastern Barbaricum, with particular emphasis on imitations of solidi dating from the Constantinian to the Leonid dynasties. The materials illustrate the geographical distribution, typological diversity, iconographic characteristics, and technological features of these objects, as well as their relationship to the broader traditions of barbarian imitations of Roman gold coinage.
The documentation includes distribution maps of the Eastern European and Danubian groups of gold imitations, a catalogue plate illustrating Late Roman solidus imitations recorded in Eastern Europe, and comparative photographic evidence of die-linked specimens associated with the Danubian group. Together, these materials provide the visual evidence underlying the numismatic, chronological, and geographical analysis presented in the study.
Map 1 presents the distribution of finds of gold imitations of Roman coins belonging to the Eastern European Group (EEG) and the Danubian Group (DG). The map distinguishes between these two groups and indicates finds with precise and approximate provenances. It illustrates the principal concentration of Eastern European imitations in present-day Ukraine, their wider distribution across Central and Northern Europe, and the more restricted geographical distribution of the Danubian group, particularly in the Middle Danube region. The map provides a comparative geographical framework for examining the relationship between the two traditions of imitative production.
Map 2 shows the distribution of recorded gold imitations of Late Roman coins from the Eastern Barbaricum. The map identifies individual finds corresponding to the specimens illustrated in Figure 1 and distinguishes between precise and approximate findspots. It documents the dispersed distribution of these imitations across present-day Ukraine and provides spatial evidence for comparing the circulation of imitations based on Constantinian, Valentinian, Theodosian, and Leonid prototypes.
Fig. 1 presents photographic documentation of thirteen recorded imitations of Late Roman gold coins from the Eastern Barbaricum. The specimens reproduce coin types associated with the Constantinian, Valentinian, Theodosian, and Leonid dynasties and exhibit considerable variation in style, iconography, execution, and preservation. The plate documents both obverse and reverse designs, including distorted legends, schematic representations, perforations, and suspension loops. It provides comparative material for evaluating the diversity of Late Roman imitations and their possible chronological and technological relationships.
Fig. 2 presents comparative photographic documentation of an imitation of a Late Roman solidus discovered in the Khmelnytskyi Region of Ukraine and two die-linked imitations associated with the Danubian group. The figure illustrates the shared obverse die and differences in reverse iconography, providing evidence for connections between individual imitations found in the Eastern Barbaricum and specimens traditionally attributed to the Middle Danube region. These die-links are particularly relevant to discussions of production networks, the geographical mobility of imitative coinage, and possible interactions between the Eastern European and Danubian traditions.
Together, the dataset provides visual documentation for investigating the production, distribution, and secondary use of Late Roman gold coin imitations beyond the Roman frontiers. The materials contribute to research on changing patterns of Roman gold circulation, the social and symbolic functions of gold coinage in barbarian societies, and the decline of large-scale imitative production in the Eastern Barbaricum during the fourth and fifth centuries CE.
(2026-11-03)
