Abstract
The article records the coins found during 2015‒2016 excavations at the Fortifi ed
Settlement Il’ichevka, conducted by a team of the Department of the Archaeological Heritage
Safeguarding, IA RAS, together with several other institutions and partners. Over 500 ancient
coins have been recovered. The absolute majority of coins are the Bosporan types (440 pieces).
More than half of all fi nds (255 specimens) belongs to the autonomous Panticapaeum’s coinage
from the last third of the 4th century BC to the late 1st century BC. 22 coins came from Phanagoria,
2 pieces – from Gorgippia. Apart from autonomic coinages, the collection includes 160 coins of
the Bosporan rulers: Leucon II – 4 pieces, Asander – 1, an uncertain ruler 
– 2, and the kings
from Aspurgus to Rhescuporis VI – 150. A small group of foreign coins is composed of fi ve
copper coins from Amisus and Sinope by the Mithridatic epoch and a Chersonesian tetrachalkoy
of the 2nd century AD.
The vast majority of the coins of the 4th c. ‒ the fi rst third of the 2nd century BC concentrated on the rather small spot in the Site 3 – in the ravine, which was used as a garbage during 2nd – 4th cc. AD. This fact allows us to interpret groups of coin of Hellenistic and Roman periods as the hoards destroyed because of sliding soil on the slope of the ravine. We have been able to suppose four such hoards concealed in this ravine.
Apart from isolated coin fi nds, an assemblage including 20 copper coins (a purse?) was uncovered in the Site 3, being possibly connected with a burial in the necropolis. The assemblage includes coins of Rhescuporis III – 7, Cotys III – 3, Sauromates III – 1, Ininthimeus – 9.
Keywords
Bosporus, Il’ichyevka Fortress, ancient coins, currency
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