TheKosons are the only known gold coins minted by theDacians. They are named after theGreek inscription"ΚΟΣΩΝ", which appears on the reverse.[1] The name Koson is believed to refer to an otherwise unattestedDacian king, although some scholars have proposed an identification withCotison, a Dacian ruler mentioned byHorace andSuetonius. Thestaters are notable for theirRoman-inspired iconography and are thought to have been struck in the 1st century BC.
The reverse depicts three togate figures walking left—two carryingfasces lictoriae over their shoulders—interpreted as aRoman consul flanked by twolictors, likely inspired by adenarius issued byMarcus Junius Brutus in 54 BC. The obverse shows an eagle standing on a scepter, clutching a wreath in its claw, a design similar to that found on coins ofPomponius Rufus.[1][2]
Coins bearing the inscription "ΚΟΣΩΝ" have been discovered in several large hoards acrossTransylvania, the most significant of which was unearthed in 1543. This find included thousands of gold coins and other artifacts. A legend emerged that the treasure had been hidden in a vaulted chamber beneath theStrei river, identified by some as the Sargetia river mentioned byDio Cassius, but later research situated the hoard within aDacian fortress in theOrăștie mountains, likelySarmizegetusa Regia. The discovery sparked scholarly interest in the name "Koson." Among the earliest references are comments byErasmus in 1520[3] andStephanus Zamosius in 1593.[4]
Most modern scholars agree that the name Koson likely refers to a local Dacian or Thracian king otherwise unattested in historical sources.[5][6]Vasile Pârvan proposed that Koson may have been a Thracian dynast who employed the Getae, a Dacian tribe, in plundering raids across the Danube, paying them with his own coinage.[7]Theodor Mommsen argued that Koson was possibly a Dacian ally of Marcus Junius Brutus, as the coinage closely resembles Brutus' denarii. Other scholars have suggested that Koson may be identical to Cotison, a Dacian king mentioned by Horace (Odes III.8.18) and Suetonius (Augustus 63), who was active during the reign of Augustus and known to have conducted raids beyond the Danube.[8]
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