Coinage of the Roman Provinces of Moesia and Thrace: Imperial or Provincial?

Local bronze coinage in Moesia and Thrace, traditionally labeled as “provincial”, were minted in Greek-speaking towns yet they featured imperial portraits and utilized a repertoire of themes influenced by official propaganda. In Coinage of the Roman Provinces of Moesia and Thrace , Renata Ciolek examines the role of these coins at the crossroads of civic identity and imperial authority. In this context she illustrates how this hybrid coinage functioned in reality: as a medium of exchange in local markets and military camps, as a channel of communication between rulers and their subjects, and as a tool for conveying the pride, religious practices, and aspirations of individual towns. Utilizing thousands of coin types, hoards, and finds from archaeological sites such as Novae, Marcianopolis, Nicopolis ad Istrum, and Philippopolis, she delineates the rise, evolution and decline of local mints from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD, highlighting the peak of production during the Severan period and the gradual transition from civic issues to a standardized imperial currency. Particular emphasis is placed on iconography – from local river deities, healing gods, and heroes to imperial families and ceremonial medallions – as well as the effects of invasions and crises on monetary circulation. The outcome is a comprehensive depiction in which “provincial coinage” not only mirrors Roman ideology but also maintains unique regional identities, thereby challenging any simple dichotomy between center and province. The study comprises ten main chapters, three appendices, summaries in both German and Bulgarian, along with two catalogues and two sets of research, which are accessible via QR-code.