19 April 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

In Poland, a 45-meter-long mysterious tunnel found under the ruins of the Saxon Palace

9 September 2023

9 September 2023

A mysterious underground tunnel was found under the ruins of the Saski Palace in Pilsudski Square in Warsaw, the capital...

4,000 Years of Wisdom: Women’s Rights and Inheritance in the Kültepe Tablets

8 March 2025

8 March 2025

The Kültepe Tablets, discovered in the ancient site of Kültepe (ancient Kanesh) in central Anatolia, are approximately 4,000 years old...

A 3,400-year-old Pyramid from the Scythian-Saka period found in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan

2 November 2023

2 November 2023

A pyramid belonging to the Scythian-Saka period was found in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. Experts announced that the Karajartas...

Drone Mapping Reveals Shockingly Huge Size of 3,000-Year-Old Caucasus Settlement

11 January 2025

11 January 2025

Using drone mapping, an academic from Cranfield University in the UK has revealed that Dmanisis Gora, a 3,000-year-old mountainside fortress...

7,000-year-old discovery in Umm Jirsan Cave

28 June 2021

28 June 2021

Archaeologists have made new discoveries in the Umm Jirsan cave in the Harrat Khaybar lava field in northern Saudi Arabia....

2000-year-old quarry discovered in Jerusalem that could be the source of Second temple stones

5 September 2021

5 September 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old quarry in Har Hotzvim, now an industrial park in Jerusalem. The Israel Antiquities Authority said...

3,000-year-old Drill Bit Workshop Unearthed in Vietnam’s

13 May 2021

13 May 2021

According to the provincial museum, an ancient drill bit workshop dating back more than 3,000 years has been discovered at...

1,600-year-old Roman-era wine shop unearthed in Greece

29 January 2024

29 January 2024

A team led by Scott Gallimore of Wilfrid Laurier University and Martin Wells of Austin College discovered a 1,600-year-old Roman-era...

Offerings to goddess Demeter uncovered in archaic temple on Crete island, Greek

17 November 2022

17 November 2022

Nestled between two mountain peaks overlooking the harbor, excavations in the ancient city of Phalasarna revealed hundreds of offerings to...

10,000-year-old Settlement Discovered in Turkey’s Şanlıurfa

25 June 2021

25 June 2021

A Neolithic settlement was discovered in the garden of a house in the Sayburç Neighborhood of Şanlıurfa’s Karaköprü district. News...

‘Holy Grail of shipwrecks’ worth $20 billion in treasure to be raised from seabed

10 November 2023

10 November 2023

A treasure ship described as the “holy grail of shipwrecks” will reportedly be lifted from the sea floor where it...

Newly discovered inscribed brick may reveal Elamite water supply system in Western Iran

15 January 2024

15 January 2024

Archaeologists discovered a brick inscribed with Akkadian script, marking the Elamite water supply system, alongside some intricately patterned bricks in...

Unveiling a Roman Settlement Beyond the Empire: New Discoveries in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany

6 April 2025

6 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations in Delbrück-Bentfeld, located in northwestern Germany, have revealed significant evidence of a Roman settlement that existed beyond...

A 3,300-year-old tablet found at Büklükale from Hittite Empire describes catastrophic invasion of four cities

11 March 2024

11 March 2024

Archaeologists have unearthed a 3,300-year-old clay tablet depicting a catastrophic foreign invasion of the Hittite Empire in Büklükale, about 100...

Thor’s hammer amulet discovered in Sweden

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed the Thor’s Hammer amulet, which they call “one of its kind” in Ysby in southwestern Sweden’s Halland...