Penkalas III Hoard

This study aims to examine, classify, and evaluate the coins belonging to the Penkalas III Hoard, which was uncovered during the 2022 excavations at Aizanoi. The coins recovered during the excavations were cleaned, photographed, and identified before being cataloged under three main categories: Classical and Hellenistic Coins, Roman Provincial Coins, and Roman Imperial Coins. Following the creation of the catalog, an evaluation of the coins was conducted. Since the primary focus of this study is the Penkalas III Hoard, the history of the city of Aizanoi has been addressed only to the extent necessary, without delving into detailed discussions. As the hoard was discovered in the Penkalas River, all the coins included in the catalog originate from this site. A total of 1718 coins have been cataloged, while 2317 coins which were not inventoried due to severe corrosion, fragmentation, or their inability to be identified—have been excluded from the catalog. In addition to the coins, the hoard also contains various metal artifacts and objects believed to have been collected for their metal value, which could serve as the subject of a separate study. Including the non-inventoried coins and fragments, the total number of coins in the Penkalas III Hoard amounts to 4035. The Penkalas III Hoard, consisting of coins dated between the 4th century BCE and the 5th century CE, spans a period of approximately one thousand years. The latest coin in the hoard belongs to Leo I, indicating that the hoard was buried no later than the year 474 CE or shortly thereafter.