Antique Coins from the Collection of Tartus Museum (Syria)

Abstract

In 2022 the research of the Joint Syrian-Russian Archaeological Mission was continued in the water area of the Tartous province in the Syrian Arab Republic. These studies are carried out by the specialists of the Sevastopol State University, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and by the Syrian scientists from the Department of Antiquities and Museums of Tartous Province. The research is carried out on the basis of the agreement on the establishment of the Joint Syrian-Russian Archaeological Mission to conduct research underwater works in the water area of the city of Tartous dated 08.10.2019 No. 13/2019. The numismatic collection of the National Museum in Tartus currently has only 34 copper coins. Most of the collection was moved to another repository with the outbreak of war in the territory of the SAR. The authors managed to identify 20 copies. The earliest coins date back to the 4th century BC, minted in Alexander III the Great time (336–323 BC), the later ones to the beginning of the VII century AD, to the Byzantine Empire. Of the mints, the issues of the city of Aradus (modern Arwad) are mostly represented; there are also Karne and coins of the Seleucid rulers of Syria. It was impossible to establish for the most Roman coins the places of their issue because of condition of the coins.