POSIBILE SURSE NUMISMATICE PRIVIND NAVIGATIA ÎN ZONA DROBETEI ÎN PRIMII ANI DE DUPA CUCERIREA ROMANA
POSSIBLE NUMISMATIC SOURCES REGARDING NAVIGATION IN DROBETA IN THE FIRST YEARS AFTER THE ROMAN CONQUEST

Summary/Abstract: The subject of boat representations underneath the bridge of Drobeta on a Trajan’s coin issue was not discussed so far by scholars. The AE roman coin is indicated in catalogues as RIC II 569-570, Cohen 542-544, BMC 954 and was issued from 103/105 to 111 A. D. On three nominals appear more than thirty variants. Much simplified, the small boat appers to be binded to a wooden pole with the stern, near the bank of the river. Many of those ships have one or two masts, a sail or rudders. Even people do appear. Due to the high degree of simplification, two categories can be considered: warships and utiliy ships. While warships appear several times, most of these boats are to be considered as being used for transport (perhaps even commercial). Regarding the period of time the coins were issued, we consider that these ships were used in the army’s logistics, right after the first dacian war.Some wooden poles appear to have been carved intentionally at one end, that’s why we presume they represent reused parts, probably from another ships. Also, their presence wouls suggest a curved shoreline, supposition confirmed by observing ancient and modern existing maps. Another item, seen more than seven decades ago, bear a similar image: on a forged marble medallion, appear three boats and wooden poles, on the opposite danubian bank. We consider the item to have had a real model, therefor the scene should be regarded as genuine, also being an evidence for the existence of wooden piers on the danubian shores during roman times.

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