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
The hoard of the late Bronze Age from the village of Antonești (the Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In the summer of 2011 S.P. Bakhov, a resident of the Antonești village (Cantemir District), proposed to the specialists of the archaeological sector of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova several objects of bronze for the acquisition by the museum. According to information provided by S.P. Bakhov, the objects were found on the edge of a ravine situated near the village cemetery. By the discoverer, the objects emerged as a result of collapse of the soil. When checking the place of discovery, experts observed traces of the gradual collapses of the ravine banks. The hoard consists of 36 bronze objects: tools (2 whole and 11 fragmentary), arms (2 whole and 5 fragmentary) and ornaments (10 whole and 6 fragmentary).
By its composition the hoard found at the village of Antonești in Cantemir District corresponds to other findings of bronze objects in the Carpathian-Dniester space dated between Br.D - early Ha A1. Sickles of Heleșteni type, calotiform plaques, shapes of daggers' handles and needles attribute the Antonești hoard to the Noua culture.
The hoard represents a complex material collected during a long period of time, accumulated during BrD and buried, possibly, in the early Ha A1. The importance of the Antonești hoard's composite spectrum is in the presence of unique items that have no analogues for the moment.
Pottery of the Noua- Sabatinovka-Coslogeni cultural complex. The typology
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVII [XXXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu
Complementing the data on the collection of stone artifacts found at the first studied settlement of the Noua culture on the territory of the Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVI [XXXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2022
Mariana Sîrbu, Denis Topal, Eugen Sava, Lazar Dermenji
Bronze items discovered on the settlements of the Noua-Sabatinovka cultures from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2020
Mariana Sîrbu
Bronze objects found in the settlements of Noua-Sabatinovka type in the Prut-Dniester area
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu, Veaceslav Bicbaev
A pit of the Late Bronze Age discovered near the lake of Valea Morilor in Chișinău
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], 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.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
