30 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Earliest Known Stone Mold for Coin Production in Roman Hispania Unearthed

Researchers from the University of Jaén have made a groundbreaking discovery at the archaeological site of Obulco, modern-day Porcuna, revealing the earliest known stone mold used for coin production in the Roman province of Hispania. This significant finding was first reported by La Brújula Verde, highlighting the importance of the discovery in understanding ancient monetary practices.

The archaeological site of Obulco, located in modern-day Porcuna, Spain, was an important Ibero-Roman settlement during the ancient period. It flourished particularly during the 2nd century BCE, serving as a key economic and cultural center in the region. Obulco was known for its strategic location along trade routes and its active mint, which produced coins that reflect the integration of local and Roman influences.

From the late 3rd century to the 1st century BCE, numerous mints emerged across the Iberian Peninsula, producing coins either regularly or sporadically. Despite the wealth of coin emissions, tangible evidence of the production workshops has been scarce, often limited to the coins themselves found in various archaeological contexts. This scarcity has raised questions about the physical locations of the mints, the production chain, and the social structures surrounding these artisanal spaces.

The recently uncovered stone mold, measuring approximately 11 cm in height, 13.7 cm in length, and 5.4 cm in width, is one half of a bivalve mold used to create coin blanks—raw, unminted metal discs that would later be stamped into coins. The mold features a flat surface with circular casting marks and signs of thermal use, indicating its role in the coin-making process. Petrographic analysis confirmed that the stone used for its manufacture originated from the local geological unit of Porcuna, highlighting the resource exploitation for industrial tool-making in antiquity.

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analysis revealed a binary copper-lead alloy in the mold’s metallic impressions, consistent with the compositions found in coins from Obulco. Researchers have linked this mold to the production of bronze asses dated between 189 and 165 BCE, marking it as part of one of the first coin series issued by the city.

Obulco, a key city in the Upper Guadalquivir region during the Iberian and Roman periods, was one of the most active mints in southern Hispania, issuing coins from the late 3rd century to the 1st century BCE. The iconography of its coins reflects the city’s integration into the Roman economic system, featuring agricultural motifs that symbolize the local economy’s reliance on cereal production.

A) Reconstruction of the bivalve mould in front view and section; B) Series 2 of the MIB and Series 3 of Arévalo (1999), most likely the coins produced with the studied mould (Photo: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. Münzkabinett GR 145); C) Photogrammetry of the urban wall identified in the excavation where the mould was found, showing that the construction where the mould was found corresponds to a suburban building adjacent to the urban wall; D) Topography of the ancient oppidum of Obulco (after Casado Millán, 2017) showing the proposed hypothetical location of the mint. Credit: M.I. Moreno-Padilla et al.
A) Reconstruction of the bivalve mould in front view and section; B) Series 2 of the MIB and Series 3 of Arévalo (1999), most likely the coins produced with the studied mould (Photo: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien. Münzkabinett GR 145); C) Photogrammetry of the urban wall identified in the excavation where the mould was found, showing that the construction where the mould was found corresponds to a suburban building adjacent to the urban wall; D) Topography of the ancient oppidum of Obulco (after Casado Millán, 2017) showing the proposed hypothetical location of the mint. Credit: M.I. Moreno-Padilla et al.

The mold’s discovery in a suburban area near the city’s fortifications raises intriguing questions about the mint’s location within Obulco’s urban layout. Similar findings at Carteia, another identified mint, suggest that minting workshops may have been situated in peripheral areas under local magistrates’ or military control.

This mold not only provides insights into the technical aspects of coin production but also reflects the socioeconomic changes driven by Roman expansion in Hispania. Coins minted in Obulco during the 2nd century BCE bear the names of local magistrates inscribed in both Iberian and Latin characters, illustrating the gradual assimilation of Roman administrative practices within indigenous communities.

The increasing monetary production during this period coincides with the territorial reorganization and expansion of cereal agriculture, linked to the Roman Republic‘s extractive economic system. Thus, the Obulco mold serves as a tangible indicator of the transformations experienced by Iberian cities as they integrated into the Roman imperial framework.

This remarkable discovery not only addresses the long-standing archaeological gap regarding the visibility of mints but also paves the way for new research opportunities focused on the locations and operations of these critical economic spaces in Republican Hispania.

By shedding light on the intricacies of coin production, this find contributes significantly to our understanding of the multifaceted economic, political, and social dynamics that influenced the Romanization of the Iberian Peninsula. Furthermore, it highlights the pivotal role that coinage played in facilitating these transformations, serving as a vital link between local communities and the broader Roman economic system. As researchers delve deeper into the implications of this mold, it is expected to enrich our comprehension of how ancient societies adapted to and integrated with the expanding Roman influence.

María Isabel Moreno-Padilla, Mario Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, et al., Dealing with the archaeological invisibility of the Iberian mints: A technological and contextual analysis of the first stone mould for blank coin production found in Hispania. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 63. Doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105083

Cover Image Credit: Detailed images of the stone mould used for blank coin production. It corresponds to the flat valve of a bivalve mould. Credit: M.I. Moreno-Padilla et al.

Related Articles

700 Years After Dante’s Death, His Handwritten Notes Are Discovered

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet, and scholar are best known for his masterwork La Commedia (also known as The Divine...

1300-year-old stone sculpture from the ancient Turkish era found in Kazakhstan

3 August 2021

3 August 2021

A 1,300-year-old stone sculpture from the early Turkish period was discovered in Kazakhstan’s south, around 250 kilometers (155 miles) from...

Archaeologists unearth 600,000-year-old evidence of Britain’s early inhabitants

22 June 2022

22 June 2022

New finds have indicated that some of Britain’s earliest people lived in the Canterbury suburbs. According to the research, led...

Lead Glass Jewelry was Mass-Produced in Medieval Poland from Local Raw Material

7 April 2025

7 April 2025

Recent archaeological research has unveiled significant insights into the mass production of lead glass jewelry in medieval Poland, confirming that...

Scientists Create a 3D Model of Lost Temple Relief from a 134-Year-Old Photo Using AI

13 November 2024

13 November 2024

The researchers developed a neural network that can take a single 2D photo of a three-dimensional object and produce a...

A Gold Mourning Ring Found on The Isle of Man

21 April 2021

21 April 2021

The ring found with a metal detector on the Isle of Man in December 2020 will be exhibited in the...

Archaeologists in the Tangier Peninsula Discovered Three Ancient Cemeteries, Including a Stone Burial Dating to Around 4,000 Years Ago

17 May 2025

17 May 2025

A significant archaeological discovery in northern Morocco’s Tangier Peninsula, situated just south of the Strait of Gibraltar, has led to...

Refurbishment at the Uffizi Gallery Revealed a Pair of Priceless Lost Renaissance Frescoes

24 April 2021

24 April 2021

A couple of construction workers discovered two Renaissance-era treasures while working on an extensive renovation project at Florence’s world-famous Uffizi...

2400-year-old artifacts discovered in the Black Sea’s first scientific underwater excavation

25 March 2024

25 March 2024

Dozens of historical artifacts dating from the 4th century BC to the 12th century AD were unearthed in the first...

Israeli researchers have found evidence of cooking fish 780,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov

14 November 2022

14 November 2022

Hominins living at Gesher Benot Ya’akov 780,000 years ago liked their fish to be well cooked, Israeli researchers revealed Monday,...

A Unique 2000-Year-Old Oil Lamp Found in Israel

5 May 2021

5 May 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a rare 2,000-year-old oil lamp in David, Jerusalem. Archaeologists have discovered a rare oil lamp, shaped like...

Farmer Found an Ice Age Cave Under His Field

30 March 2021

30 March 2021

A naturally formed cave was found near the town of Kraśnik in southeastern Poland, used by humans during the Ice...

Altar site for Greek goddess Demeter unearthed in Turkey’s ancient city of Blaundus

21 December 2021

21 December 2021

An altar site for the Greek goddess Demeter was unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Blaundus,...

Runic Alphabet Symbols in the Tombs Found in the Excavations in Istanbul

23 May 2021

23 May 2021

In the excavations carried out by the Istanbul Archeology Museums in the area where the metro station will be built...

The Error That Caused II.Ramses to Lose the Battle of Kadesh

5 February 2021

5 February 2021

The Battle of Kadesh between the Hittites and Egyptians in Anatolia, the two superpowers of the Bronze Age period, has...