Rare Arab-Byzantine coin found near Shirokovo

A rare Arab-Byzantine coin associated with early minting under the Umayyad Caliphate has been discovered during archaeological work at Kaleto near the village of Shirokovo. The object was discovered by Velislava Velikova, a student at Veliko Tarnovo University, Borba newspaper reported on 24 October.

The coin was found while examining a sunken dwelling dating from the second half of the eleventh century. According to the published report, the coin itself is much older and belongs to transitional Arab-Byzantine coinage from the second half of the seventh century.

The coin is thought to have been minted in Emesa, now Homs in Syria. It resembles Byzantine issues from the reign of Emperor Constans II, combining familiar Christian imagery with an Arabic inscription translated as 'good'.

The newspaper describes the find as a coin type not previously known to have circulated in the lands of present-day Bulgaria. This is a preliminary archaeological report, and further research and formal publication will be important before drawing definitive scientific conclusions.

Velislava Velikova is a master's student in Archaeology at Veliko Tarnovo University and a recipient of the university's 2023 Academic Award. The find draws attention to connections and the movement of objects between the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean during the Middle Ages.

Sources: Borba, 24 October 2026 — Mihail Mihalev.

Illustrative image of ancient coins, not of the item discovered near Shirokovo. Photographer: Neutron / Unsplash (Unsplash License).