Унгарски дукат от 1589 г., намерен при археологическите проучвания на остров „Свети Иван“ край град Созопол

Hungarian ducat from 1589 found during archaeological research on St. Ivan Island near Sozopol

Abstract

A well preserved golden Hungarian coin (ducat) struck in the mint of Kremnitz in 1589 is housed in the main Numismatic depot of the Sofia National Museum of History under Inv. N 53 118. It was found in 1994 during the archaeological research on St. Ivan Island near Sozopol. The Monastery of St. John Forerunner and Baptist was located on the island, destroyed by the Ottomans in 1629. Most probably the golden ducat here presented fell into the ground at that time. In the course of the 16th–17th c. large amounts of golden European coins mostly of a nominal of 1 ducat were freely circulating on the markets of the Ottoman Empire. On the Balkans, the golden ducats of the Habsburg Emperors were broadly spread and mainly those issued by the mint of the Hungarian town of Kremnitz as is the piece here discussed. These coins had a high buying value on the territory of the Ottoman state. Because of this, they were highly valued by its population and were a preferred treasure deposit.