Patalenitsa II - Another Celtic Strymon/Trident

Hoard from Southwestern Bulgaria

The recent publication of Volume V of the wonderful CCCHBulg (Coin

Collections and Coin Hoards from Bulgaria) series has provided further
valuable archaeological evidence of Celtic settlement in southwestern
Bulgaria in the immediate pre-Roman period. Particularly interesting
among the published ancient coinage from the collection of Pazardzhik
Regional Museum are numerous examples of Celtic Strymon/Trident
coinage produced in the late 2nd / 1st century BC (Prokopov et al 2015, cat. #
587 – 616).

STRYMON/TRIDENT

In the late 2nd and 1st century BC a distinct coinage in bronze was produced
by the Celtic tribes of the southwestern areas of Thrace bordering
Macedonia. This coinage, concentrated along the middle region of the
Mesta / Nestos and Strouma / Strymon rivers and in the Western Rhodopes
and Pirin mountains (around the modern border of Bulgaria with Greece)
consisted of only a single type – the Strymon/Trident type, imitating a
Macedonian original of Philip V or Perseus (Gaebler, AMNG III/2, no.14, taf
2, 25; SNG Cop 1298; see Paunov 2013).

Macedonian original of Philip V or Perseus (187– 168 BC) (BMC 12.43)

 Celtic Strymon/Trident issues, southwestern Bulgaria (late 2nd / 1st c. BC)

Celtic bronze coinage of the Strymon/Trident type which circulated mostly,

but not exclusively, on the territory of today‟s southwestern Bulgaria, represents a
unique phenomenon in ancient numismatics. This currency was produced
entirely using coinage plundered from neighboring Roman controlled
territory during the late 2nd /early 1st century BC. The largest hoard of such
coinage registered so far, that from Bogolin (Gotse Delchev district),
illustrates the nature of this coinage. This hoard, which originally consisted
of 400 coins, 287 of which are now in the Regional History Museum in
Blagoevgrad, is made up exclusively of Celtic issues struck over
Macedonian originals.

https://www.academia.edu/4067834/Bandit_Nation_-_The_Bogolin_Hoard
 Recent research has indicated that a well developed Celtic state emerged in this
region during the period in question (Prokopov 2000). Based on this coinage,
and other archaeological material from the region, experts have also
concluded that “despite the conflict conditions of the time, t h i s C e l t i c
s t a t e , i n w h a t i s n o w south-western Bulgaria, was able to
produce and maintain a controlled economic/monetary system’’
(Paunov 2013).

As mentioned, the Strymon/Trident coinage was produced by, and

circulated among, the Celtic tribes of today‟s southwestern Bulgaria.
Besides thousands of individual examples, 8 major hoards containing such
Celtic coinage have been recorded in southwestern Bulgaria (Prokopov
2000, Paunov 2013)

Main concentration of Celtic bronze Strymon/Trident coinage in Southwestern

Bulgaria (late 2nd / 1st century BC)

(After Mac Gonagle 2013)

https://www.academia.edu/6355583/Celtic_Strymon_Trident_Coinage
Of special interest from the newly published collection of the Pazardjik
museum is a further hoard of Celtic Strymon/Trident bronze coinage from
the village of Patalenitsa (Bulgarian: Паталеница) in Pazardzhik province,
situated at the northern foot of the Karkaria ridge of the western Rhodope
Mountains.

Location of Patalenitsa

The Patalenitsa II hoard included, as well as a small number of Hellenistic coins, 30

Celtic bronze coins of the Strymon/Trident type (cat. #587 to no. 616). It remains unclear
whether another 8 such Celtic coins from the museums’ collection (cat. #617 to no. 624;
see also Prokopov 2000:372-375; CCCHBulg. IV 907-1192) originally also formed part of
this hoard, represent individual finds from the area, or part of a separate hoard. The
Patalenitsa II hoard is particularly significant as it represents, thus far, the most eastern
hoard of this type of Celtic coinage, thus indicating that the sphere of influence of the
Rhodope Celtic tribal state (Paunov 2013) extended as far as the Maritsa (Hebrus) river
during the late 2nd / 1st century BC.

Celtic Strymon/Trident coinage from the Patalenitsa II hoard

(after Ignatova et al 2015)
In the light of rapidly increasing scientific evidence, local archaeologists
have finally conceded that enclaves of Celtic settlement existed across
Bulgaria in the immediate pre-Roman period (Филипова et al 2011, Paunov
2013, Ignatova et al 2015). Judging by the massive amount of Celtic
numismatic and archaeological material uncovered throughout Bulgaria,
one can only conclude that these must have been remarkably large
‘enclaves’…

Distribution of Celtic Coinage in Bulgaria 3-1 c. BC (Does not include

coinage of the „Tyle‟state or Celtic Zaravetz coinage from n.e. Bulgaria)
 Literature Cited

Филипова, Св., Паунов E., Прокопов. И. (2011) Монети и монетни находки от

проучването на “Каракочовата могила” и на “Читашката могила” в с. Братя Даскалови,
Старозагорска област. – В: М. Тонкова (ред.), Трако-римски династичен център в
района на Чирпанските възвишения, София, 2011, 44–53.

Ignatova S., Filipova S., Tenchova A. and Prokopov I. (2015) Coin Collections and Coin
Hoards from Bulgaria (CCCHBulg) Vol. V. Numismatic Collection of the Regional Museum
at Pazardzhik. Greek, Thracian, Macedonian, Roman Republican, Roman Provincial and
Byzantine Coins from the 4th century BC to the 7th century AD. Sofia-Pazardzhik 2015.

Paunov E. (2013) From Koine To Romanitas: The Numismatic Evidence For Roman
Expansion and Settlement In Bulgaria In Antiquity (Moesia and Thrace, ca. 146 BC - AD
98/117) Phd. Thesis. School of History, Archaeology and Religion. Cardiff University.
November, 2013

Paunov E., Filipova S., Prokopov I. (2013) CCCHBulg. 4, Blagoevgrad Museum

Прокопов И. (1991), “Монетно съкровище от с. Боголин, Гоце Делчевско”, ИИМКн, 3

(Kyustendil 1991), 69-77, I.

Prokopov, I. (2000) Imitations of Bronze Coins in Thracia during the 1st century BC. In:
Akten des XII. Internaionaler Nuismatischer Kongress 1997, Berlin 2000, 369–377

26/9/2015