Koson (coin)

The Kosons are the only gold coins that have been minted by the

Cotison mentioned by Horace and Suetonius

.

Description

The Brutus denarius that seems to have been a model for the Koson coins

The coins contain Roman iconography: on the obverse, there is an eagle standing on a

Marcus Junius Brutus in 54 BC).^[1]

Discovery

Coins inscribed KOSON were discovered in several large stashes in

Orăştie mountains, probably in Sarmisegetusa

.

Debate regarding the name "Koson" was prompted after the discovery of the coins. The discovery captured the attention of writers at the time. Thus, there are comments from

Stephanus Zamosius (István Szamosközy) in 1593.^[3]

King theory

Modern scholars agree that the name Koson most likely refers to a local king about whom nothing else is known.

Brutus, since the coins seem to derive their imagery from those minted by Brutus himself. Recent scholars often argue that he is very likely to be identical to the "Cotison" mentioned by Horace (Odes III., 8, 18,) and Suetonius, (Augustus, 63.), a Dacian king during the reign of Augustus who had raided over the Danube.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b Bogdan Constantinescu et al, "Archaeometallurgical Characterization Of Ancient Gold Artifacts From Romanian Museums Using XRF, Micro-pixe And Micro-SR-XRF Methods", in Proceedings Of The Romanian Academy" Series A, Volume 13, Number 1/2012, pp. 19–26
^ Erasmus, trans. R.A.B. Mynors (1988). Collected Works of Erasmus Volume 8: Letters 1122 to 1251, 1520 to 1521. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 37.
^ Zamosius, Stephanus (1593). Analecta lapidum vetustorum et nonnullarum in Dacia antiquitatum. pp. 101–2.
^ Cosmo Rodewald, Money in the Age of Tiberius, Manchester University Press, 1976, p.41.
^ Andrew MacKenzie, Archaeology in Romania: the mystery of the Roman occupation, Hale, 1986, p.33.
^ Lica, Vasile. The Coming of Rome in the Dacian World, Universitätsverlag Konstanz, 2000, p.105.
^ The Numismatist: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine for Those Interested in Coins, Medals, and Paper Money, Volume 25, 1912, p.333

External links

Media related to Koson at Wikimedia Commons

[academia-1] Bogdan Constantinescu et al, "Archaeometallurgical Characterization Of Ancient Gold Artifacts From Romanian Museums Using XRF, Micro-pixe And Micro-SR-XRF Methods", in Proceedings Of The Romanian Academy" Series A, Volume 13, Number 1/2012, pp. 19–26

[2] Erasmus, trans. R.A.B. Mynors (1988). Collected Works of Erasmus Volume 8: Letters 1122 to 1251, 1520 to 1521. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 37.

[3] Zamosius, Stephanus (1593). Analecta lapidum vetustorum et nonnullarum in Dacia antiquitatum. pp. 101–2.

[4] Cosmo Rodewald, Money in the Age of Tiberius, Manchester University Press, 1976, p.41.

[5] Andrew MacKenzie, Archaeology in Romania: the mystery of the Roman occupation, Hale, 1986, p.33.

[6] Lica, Vasile. The Coming of Rome in the Dacian World, Universitätsverlag Konstanz, 2000, p.105.

[7] The Numismatist: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine for Those Interested in Coins, Medals, and Paper Money, Volume 25, 1912, p.333

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