[gothic-l] Re: Trailing the Eruli in the North

[faltin2001]

--- In gothic-l at y..., Tore Gannholm <tore.gannholm at s...> wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> >> Should Theodoric pay Roduulf to be his son-in-arms? The Heruls 
were
> >> mercenaries, when Odoaker became a king, and a coin with Odoaker 
is
> >> found in King Ottars Mound in Uppland.
> >
> >
> >Are you sure about this? The coins of Odoaker are excessively rare
> >and all known pieces (only about 3 or 4 are in exsistence, are well
> >recorded). Grierson & Blackburn (Early Medieval Coinage, vol.1) 
know
> >of no Odoaker half-siliqua from Sweden. In fact, only one single
> >Ostrogothic coin has ever been found in Sweden (a very worn 
quarter-
> >siliqua of Theoderic). Can you tell me more about this Odoaker-coin
> >in Uppland please.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >You do not know from where
> >> they got their tribute and mercenary wages in Moravia at a time
> >when
> >> Byzans was the great power in Europe.
> >
> >
> >That might be true, but if Constantinopel-made coinage was flowing 
to
> >Moravia at that time - as wages or subsidies- I would have expected
> >finds of such coins to emerge especially from these areas. In
> >general, I said that I don't dispute the possibility of coin finds 
as
> >support for a migration, but think that there are a number of
> >problems with it as well.
> >
> >
> >Dirk
> >
> 
> The coin in Ottarshögen is with Basiliscus
> 
> Tore


Do you mean that this is the coin that Troels called 'a coin with 
Odoacer' in the burial mound of king Ottar? If it carries the name of 
Basiliscus it is not even close to being an Odoaker coin. Odoaker 
minted only half-siliquae with his portrait. Of these only about 3 or 
4 are in existence today. (All in big public collections, like 
British Museum etc.). Also, Odoaker's monogram is believed to be on 
some also very rare copper nummi. 

The only other coins attributable to Odoaker are solidi and tremisses 
minted at Rome and Ravenna in the name of Zeno after 476AD. These 
coins show neither a monograme nor a name of Odoaker, but are 
completely imperial in style.  However, the Italian mints have 
**never** minted in the name of Basiliscus. Thus, this coin of 
Ottarshoegen must be of eastern, most likely Constantinopolian 
origin. 

Here is a picture of a Basiliscus solidus:

http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/00928h00.htm

And a picture of a Zeno coin (also from Constantinopel, identifiable 
by the officina mark)

http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/00927h00.htm

And two Ostrogothic Solidi in the names of Anastasius and Justinianus 
from the mint of Rome:

http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01019h00.htm
http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01020h00.htm

For comparison also a Frankish Solidus (from my collection)

http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01022h00.htm

and a Visigothic solidus

http://www.dcatalog.de/peus369/antike/01023h00.htm


I hope these links work. Anyway, I know that Scandinavian solidi 
finds are concenrated on Gotland and Oeland. One famous hoard from 
Oeland contained 36 solidi dating to about 400AD. 

cheers
Dirk






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