Thasian or Thracian: Some Aspects of the Early Coinages in Southwestern Thrace in the 6th–4th Century BC

This article aims to present new information on coin circulation in Southwestern Thrace during the period of the 6th to the 4th century BC. The territory of Southwestern Thrace exhibits exceptional, yet poorly analyzed peculiarities in its monetary circulation. A significant portion of the earliest known coin finds from the territory of present-day Bulgaria, dating back to the 6th–5th centuries BC, is situated along the Middle Mesta River and the Western Rhodopes. The origin of the early silver coinage, known as the “Thasos (I period)” type, remains uncertain. Despite various hypotheses, there is no conclusive evidence supporting any of them, suggesting that these coins may have originated from one of the Thracian tribes residing in Southwestern Thrace. The region encompassing the Middle Mesta River and the Western Rhodopes forms part of a cohesive economic zone, extending from the island of Thasos to the northern reaches of the Maritsa River. It is almost certain that economic life within these territories involved exploitation of ore and non-ore minerals, metallurgy, charcoal production, cattle breeding, and agriculture. The transfer of money and commodities took place in the form of finished luxury products (including wine and olive oil), moving from south to north, while in the opposite direction, the exchange primarily consisted of raw materials (metals, grain, and livestock) and specialized services – likely supplying mercenaries and labour for mining and extraction work. With its numerous manufacturing centres, mints (coin ateliers), ports, trade hubs, and extensive road network, the South aimed to economically penetrate the resource-rich territories to the North. The existence of a powerful Thracian dynastic centre or a confederation of several tribes in Southwestern Thrace is evidenced from the end of the 6th to the final quarter of the 5th century BC. With its robust economic and military capabilities, it successfully maintained its political autonomy, and even expanded its control to encompass a vast area, which by the 4th century BC extended to the region of the Sredna Gora Mountain.