The recently discovered coin.
Similarly, goldenPersian coinsdiscovered in a city in modern-day Turkey are evidence of the settlement’s Hellenistic roots.
Whether buried inhoardsoruncovered individually, coins tell economic, political, and social stories throughout history.
The recently discovered coin. (Photo: Rousse Regional History Museum)
Part of the empire occupied what is now northwestern Turkey.
Byzantine rulers in the region were therefore quite close neighbors.
One of these rulers was John III Doukas Vatatzes, Emperor of Nicaea from 1222 to 1254.
The remains of a medieval Byzantine church nearby where the coin was found. (Photo: Rousse Regional History Museum)
Nicaea was ashort-lived empireformed after crusaders sacked Constantinople in 1204.
The coin was discovered Cherven, a medieval fort settlement in Bulgaria.
The find was announced by Bulgarias Rousse Regional Historical Museum.
A very similar 13th-century coin depicting Theodore II Ducas-Lascaris. (Photo: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 2.5)
The coin was unearthed near the Intermediate Fortress Wall, a late 14th-century Ottoman construction.
The gold coin, called aperpera, dates back to the 13th century.
At that time, the Byzantine rulers did not control Bulgaria.
Therefore the coin tells an interesting story.
Firstly, it shows that Byzantine-era coinagedepicting their robed emperorswas still in use.
However, the coin had clearly been altered as it was lighter than at minting.
This indicates that the coin was resized.
This altered currency may have arrived in Cherven soon after 1388 when the Ottomans themselves arrived.
The precious gold material was also somewhat of a surprise to archeologists.
Only time will tell.
A gold coin was unearthed in a medieval fortress in Bulgaria.
The remains of a medieval Byzantine church nearby where the coin was found.
(Photo: Rousse Regional History Museum)
The artifact illustrates the overlap of empires.
A very similar 13th-century coin depicting Theodore II Ducas-Lascaris.
