Regarding two medieval coin hoards from Florești district, Republic of Moldova

Author suggests some clarifications regarding the content of the Mărculești and Băhrinești coin hoards transferred by A.A. Nudelman in 1986 to the holdings of the Archaeology Institute of the Science Academy.

The hoard from Mărculești village, Florești district was acquired by the holdings under the acts № 57 of March 21, 1986 (2465 coins) and № 65 of September 23, 1986 (two more copies), inventory numbers 2064-4530.

Both hoards were described by A. Nudelman in the article “Неизданные монетные клады XVI-XVII вв. из Днестровско-Прутского региона” (Средневековые памятники Днестровско-Прутского междуречья, Кишинёв, 1988, 145-148) in which the author introduces the Mărculești hoard as the Băhrinești hoard and vice versa, thus contradicting the content of the delivery-acceptance acts.

It is also to be pointed out that in the mentioned work the quantity of analyzed coins as well as identification of some issues differs from the coins kept in the holdings of the museum. The author just names the country and the issuer.

The author of the present article researched only the Mărculești hoard coins which had been included in the holdings of the museum and published “Un tezaur monetar gasit in s. Mărculești” (Arheologia Moldovei 18, 1995, 305-309) in order to rule out alternative versions regarding the coins of the mentioned hoards. The work contains a thorough description of the averse and reverse sides of each coin, indicates size and weight, determines mints, and comprises illustrative material.

From our point of view, it is necessary to analyze the Băhrinești hoard coins the same way (at the present time both hoards are kept in the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova).

According to archaeologist V.I. Markevich, the coin hoard was discovered in 1980 near the railroad in the neighbor- hood of Băhrinești village. As a result of 1986 Florești archaeological expedition, A.A. Nudelman transferred 320 coins to the funds of the Archaeology Institute.

In 1990 A.A. Nudelman in the article “Бэхринештский клад и польско-литовские монеты в молдавских тезаврациях” (Нумизматические издания по истории Юго-Восточной Европы, Кишинёв, 1990, 185-203) includes in the scientific turnover fifty nine coins which were placed at his disposal for publication. This lot isn’t part of the above-mentioned Bagrinesti hoard consisting of 320 coins. The Bagrinesti hoard contains small European coins of the 16th-17th centuries: 305 coins are Lithuanian 1/2 groschen minted in Vilno town. The coins have been put in a chronological sequence: Alexander I Jagiello, 1495-1501 – 1 coin; Sigismund I the Old – 3 coins (1510, 1520, 1521); Sigismund II Augustus – 301 1/2 groschen (1546-1567); Świdnica – 1/2 grosch (1523) during Louis II Jagiello reign (1516-1526).

The lot also contains 9 Hungarian dinars minted in Kremnica between 1546 and 1602 by the Habsburg House rulers: Ferdinand I – 4 coins (1545, 1557, 1558, 1563); Maximilian II – 1 coin, 1568; Rudolf II – 3 coins (1585, 1596, 1602); Matyáš II – dinars, 1610.

The hoard also includes 5 schillings: 1 – Poland, the Krakow mint, Stefan Batory, 1580; 1 – Gdansk, Sigismund III, 1532; 1 schilling, Riga, 1601, Sigismund III; 1 – Lithuania, the Vilno mint, Sigismund III, 1621; 1 schilling, Prussia, 1560, Königsberg mint, Albrecht I von Brandenburg reign (1525-1568).

The earliest coin of the hoard dates back to 1495-1501, and the latest coin dates back to 1621.