13.92 mm diameter, 1.224 g, 90% gold, reeded edge Obverse: ROMANIA, coat of arms of Romania, face value 10 LEI, year 2023, one end of the princely diadem found at Buneşti, in the shape of an animal	Reverse: an image of the diadem and inscription DIADEMA PRINCIARA BUNESTI-AVERESTI meaning PRINCELY DIADEM OF BUNEŞTI-AVEREŞTI Issuing date: 18th of December 2023 Maximum mintage: 1,000 coins

About the Geto-Dacian fortress of Buneşti and about the princely diadem found there

The Geto-Dacian fortress near the village of Buneşti was discovered in 1978 in an area called Dealul Bobului [1]. The village of Buneşti is located 21 km from the city of Huşi and is part of the commune of Buneşti-Avereşti in Vaslui County. The fortress is located on a plateau with a height of 330-350 m above sea level, naturally protected by ravines on three sides [2]. The fortress has been investigated over the years in several archaeological campaigns. Numerous iron tools, local Geto-Dacian pottery objects and imported pottery from Greek cities (pieces of amphorae from Thasos, Rhodes, Sinope, Heraclea Pontica), precious metal objects - bracelets, brooches, silver coins -, glass beads were found here [1].

A hoard of silver ornaments was found in the fortress in 1979. Another hoard was found in 1982. It contained both silver and gold objects [1].

The diadem was unearthed in July 1984. It was not accompanied by any other objects. The piece is made of gold and weighs 757.6 g. The gold is almost pure, containing only small amounts of silver - 0.77% and copper - 0.6% [2]. The diadem is made of two gold bars, with a diameter ranging between 26 and 30 mm [1]. The bars are bent symmetrically, with floral ornaments mounted in the five rings formed between bendings. The ends of the bars are shaped like predatory animals (65 mm long), possibly felines. Each animal has a ring in its mouth. The rings were probably used to attach a strip of fabric with which the diadem was fixed to the head. The diadem is currently strongly bent, with the ends overlapping, as it was discovered [1]. For this reason, it does not present itself in the classic image of a diadem.

The diadem is contemporary with the Geto-Dacian fortress, which has been dated to the 4th-3rd centuries BC.

The History of gold series comprises:
- a set of four pieces of 500 old lei featuring the golden cache of Pietroasa (2001),
- the following 100 old lei coins with

- the Dacian helmet of Poiana-Coţofeneşti (1999, 2002 and 2003),

- the eagle from Apahida (2003),

- a Cantacuzinian engolpion (2004),
- the following 10 new lei with

- the Perşinari Hoard (2005),

- the Cucuteni-Băiceni hoard (2006),

- the rhyton of Poroina (2007),

- the Hinova hoard (2008),

- the Someşeni hoard (2010),

- the buckle of Curtea de Argeş (2011),

- the cross from Dinogetia (2011),

- the patera from Pietroasa Hoard (2012),

- the Four Gospels of Hurezi Monastery (2013),

- two ancient gold coins struck at Histria (2014),

- the crown of queen Marie (2015),

- the mace of king Ferdinand (2016),

- the crown of queen Elisabeth (2017),

- the 10 ducats 1600 coin with Michael the Brave (2018),

- the 50 lei with year 1922 coin (2019),

- some late Roman gold artifacts discovered at Carsium (2020),

- the polygonal vessels from the Pietroasa hoard (2022),

- the princely diadem of Buneşti-Avereşti (2023),

- the Apahida hoard (2024).

References

1. Teodoru Violeta Veturia, Contribuţii la cunoaşterea civilizaţiei geto-dacice în zona est-carpatică în lumina cercetărilor arheologice. Arheologia Moldovei, XXI, 1998, p. 29-41, Editura Academiei Române, Bucureşti, 2000.

2. Cîrjan R., Istoria aurului. Diadema princiară de la Buneşti-Avereşti. Direcţia Emisiune, Tezaur şi Casierie, Bucureşti, 2023.