The great ruler Stephen the Great, outstanding army commander and diplomat, was also concerned during his life with the economic prosperity of the country, supporting the development of crafts, trade and fairs. During his reign, groși and half groși minted in the dinar system were issued, a monetary system introduced in Moldova during the last reign of Petru Aron (1455-1457).
The coins were minted from silver of superior title, those that reflect stability in the economic life of the country at that time. Their masterful execution at the Suceava mint is among the beautiful artistic achievements during the reign of Stephen the Great.
During his reign, two types of issues were minted, for the two denominations: groși and half groși.
Type I issues have a split shield on the obverse; in the first quarter appears a rose surmounted by a cross and three fascias, in the second quarter. For the epigraph issues (groși), the image is accompanied by the circular legend with the name of the issuer: + STEFANVS VOIEVODA. On the other side appears the bour's head with a star between the horns accompanied by the heraldic furniture - the rose and the contoured crescent, placed to the right and left of the bour's head; circular legend: MOLDAVIE COIN.
On type II coins in the shield on the obverse appears a patriarchal cross (double) and the legend STEFANVSVOIEVOD or abbreviated STEFANVSVOIE. On the reverse, as in type I, the bour's head with heraldic attributes is preserved: rose right/crescent left and crescent right/rose left. A star or rose appears between the ox's horns. The legend accompanying the face with the bour head is MONETAMOLDAVI or abbreviated MONETAMOLDA.
The dating of Stephen the Great's coins is still under discussion. According to one opinion, type I issues were minted between 1457-1476, and type II between 1480/1481-1505 (Octavian Iliescu), and another 1465/1467-1475/1476 for type I and 1476/1479-1497 for type II (Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu).
The coins in this showcase were discovered during the archaeological excavations at Orheiul Vechi (Trebujeni, Orhei district) in the 6th and 7th decades of the 20th century:
1. Type I money issues, groși, silver 2. Type II money issues, groși, silver 3. Type II coin issue, half groși, silver
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Keywords: Trypillia site, V. Khvoika, excavations, stage Trypillia BI-II, large settlements
Abstract: This article is dedicated to investigations of the site, which gave its name to the Trypillian Culture. For the first time it was excavated by V. Khvoika in autumn 1897, at the same time when he explored few sites around the village of Trypillia in 40 km south of Kiev. Despite the fact that since the excavation more than a hundred years has passed, the results have not been published, except a description in two pages that appeared in 1901. Later the place of excavations was forgotten, and only after 100 years it was discovered for a second time and identified using archival materials. A brief history of this "rediscovery" is presented in this article. We also propose the description of explored objects based on a modern view on the Trypillian Culture objects and interpretation of other finds from this site in the system of contemporary dating and periodization. This article mainly based on data from the Scientific Archive of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and some materials from the National Museum of History of Ukraine. Trypillia now is the largest (possibly up to 100 hectares) site of this culture in the Middle Dnieper region and at the same time the earliest one of these sites, dated by BI-II stage (around 4400-4200 BC).
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Fragment of the Open Letter of 1909 to the excavations in the Kiev region, including Trypillia. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 2. Page from the field dairy by V. Khvoika (1897) with a view of the place of excavations near Trypillia. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 3. Excavations near Trypillia, drawing from a table made by V. Khvoika. Drawing is based on the sketch from the field dairy, 1897. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv. Fig. 4. Photo from a table made using field drawings. Inscription on the top: "Excavations near Trypillia, Kiev district". Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 5. Maps with the place of excavations: 1 - scheme published by V. Khvoika in 1904; 2 - fragment of a map, possibly used for the scheme; 3 - fragment of a scheme. Place of excavations is marked by an arrow. Fig. 6. Excavations near Trypillia, panorama by V. Khvoika (a) vs satellite image (b): 1 - place, from which V. Khvoika observed explored area near Trypillia; 2 - hill at the central part of Trypillia with church; 3 - windmills to the right; 4 - windmills on Divich Gora (to the left). Place of excavations marked by circle. Fig. 7. Place of excavations near Trypillia in 2003: а - view to Trypillia, by number 4 Divich-Gora marked (on drawings to the left); b - plateau with site, view from Krasnaya river; с - view from Trypillia, 1 - place, from which V. Khvoika observed explored area near Trypillia; place of 2003 г. Excavations marked by arrow. Fig. 8. Trypillia, 2003: 1 - test-pit, general view; 2 - cultural layer with remains of burnt house; 3 - fragment of pear- like vessel; 4 - fragments of painted pottery. Fig. 9. Trypillia, excavations in 1897, drawings by V. Khvoika. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 10. Trypillia, excavations in 1897, drawings by V. Khvoika. Croup of vessels and human bones. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 11. Trypillia, excavations in 1897, drawings by V. Khvoika. Page from dairy, dated 3.10.1897. Group of vessels in test-pit. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 12. Trypillia, excavations in 1897, drawings by V. Khvoika, later used for preparations of the large illustration. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 13. Finds from excavations near Trypillia: 1 - stone tools; 2 - copper axe. Drawings by V. Khvoika (1) and photo (2) published in 1901. Fig.14. Trypillia, helmet-like cap: 1 - old label with inscription, in which Trypillia mentioned as the place of finding; 2-4 - helmet-like cap, general views. National Museum of History of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 15. Fragments of painted pottery, probably from Trypillia. Drawings from the large table prepared by V. Khvoika for publication. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. Fig. 16. View on excavations near the Krasna River by Trypillia at the beginning of the 20th century: 1 - inscription from the top of passé-partout; 2 - photo of trench, places with vessels are marked; 3-4 - finds enlarged. Scientific Archive, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev.
Михаил Видейко, Джон Чапмен, Биссерка Гейдарская, Наталья Бурдо, Эдуард Овчинников, Галина Пашкевич, Наталья Шевченко
Investigations of a mega-structure at the Trypillian culture settlement near Nebelivka in 2012
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Михаил Видейко
The channel kilns in Trypillia Culture and development of pottery
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Михаил Видейко
Crises and early urbanization processes in Europe
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Михаил Видейко, Виталий Рудь, Татьяна Гошко, Мария Видейко
Trypillia BI-II stage sites on Dnieper
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2021
Михаил Видейко, Джон Чапмен, Наталья Бурдо, Биссерка Гейдарская, Стоилка Игнатова, Светлана Иванова, Виталий Рудь
Research project "Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillian mega-sites" in 2013
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
The great ruler Stephen the Great, outstanding army commander and diplomat, was also concerned during his life with the economic prosperity of the country, supporting the development of crafts, trade and fairs. During his reign, groși and half groși minted in the dinar system were issued, a monetary system introduced in Moldova during the last reign of Petru Aron (1455-1457)...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.