Resumen de The mint of Thessalonica and the Mediterranean economy in the 6th-7th c.
The 6th-century mint of Thessalonica offers one of the most interesting cases of localized circulation and Mediterranean-wide distribution. It has been repeatedly suggested that the main purpose of the moneta publica of Thessalonica was to meet the needs of the Macedonian metropolis and to supply the Danube frontier in northern Illyricum. The activity of the mint itself, seen through hoarding and casual loss, was closely connected to barbarian invasions and military activity in the Balkans. However, minting agenda at Thessalonica seems to have been a lot more complex. The evidence shows that Justinian’s irregular 16-nummia and its fractions traveled long distances to destinations from three different continents. Moreover, the adopting of mainstream denominations after 562 led to an even wider distribution of Thessalonica’s coinage, found in a variety of urban and rural contexts around the Mediterranean. What were the main channels of distribution? Can the circulation of Thessalonican coins be attributed exclusively to the army or should we consider additional explanations, such as the long-distance movement of people and goods in the Mediterranean world? These are some of the questions discussed in this paper along with the broader historical implications of monetary circulation in Late Antiquity.
