Christian Cuello | Macquarie University (original) (raw)

Papers by Christian Cuello

Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia, 2019

Imperial authority is inextricably linked with Roman coinage. This association acts as a guarante... more Imperial authority is inextricably linked with Roman coinage. This association acts as a guarantee of quality and of its acceptance as currency. Imperial imagery and administrative codes function as mechanisms of accountability. After the last Western Roman Emperor was deposed around 476 AD, production of Imperial coinage continued. The production of Imperial coinage by barbarian kings is typically referred to as ‘imitation’. Does this term adequately describe minting practice in the 5th and 6th centuries? This article explores the limitations of this term and resolves an unresolved problem in Late Antique numismatics: the attribution of the •T• series tremisses. The implications of this attribution, and how it impacts our understanding of the period, is also discussed.

Recent scholarship into the coinage of the Visigoths has allowed for a better understanding of wh... more Recent scholarship into the coinage of the Visigoths has allowed for a better understanding of what was once believed to be a mono-metallic, and mono-denominational currency. It is evident that the Visigoths produced not only gold tremisses, but also silver and copper denominations, while also using past Imperial coinage and currencies from neighbouring Byzantine territories and Western kingdoms. This article provides a brief account of the history of the Visigoths, and considerations of their coinage use, mining on the Iberian Peninsula, and brief reviews of past scholarship. Ten Visigothic tremisses and three copper fractions held in the Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies (ACANS), as part of the Gale collection, are catalogued.

Conference Presentations by Christian Cuello

The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of... more The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of barbarian imitation tremisses identified by the mark •T• (typically appearing on the reverse inscription). This series has traditionally been attributed to the Merovingian king Thierry Ier of Metz, son of Clovis, although this claim has not been fully substantiated and a review of previous scholarship is needed.

In light of new numismatic and archaeological evidence, there is another likely contender for the mark: Theoderic the Great, king of Ostrogothic Italy from 493AD, and king of the Visigoths from 511AD, until his death in 526AD.

This revised attribution contributes to addressing broader questions of authority and minting practices in the barbarian West, and understanding the relationship with the Byzantine Empire as pars imperii.

And, with the coins themselves being Narbonne-issued Visigothic coins with the mint-mark of Theoderic the Great, it goes some way to understanding minting policy during his reign of 511-526AD: do the coins serve a dual purpose of reinforcing Imperial authority and Theoderic’s constitutional position in the West?

The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of... more The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of barbarian imitation tremisses identified by the officinal mark •T• (typically appearing on the reverse inscription). This series has traditionally been attributed to the Merovingian king Thierry Ier of Metz from 511-534AD, although this claim has not been fully substantiated. In light of new numismatic and archaeological evidence, there is another likely contender for the mark: Theoderic the Great, king of Ostrogothic Italy from 493AD, and king of the Visigoths from 511AD, until his death in 526AD.

This revised attribution contributes to addressing broader questions of authority and minting practices in the barbarian West, and understanding the relationship with the Byzantine Empire as pars imperii. And, with the coins themselves being Narbonne-issued Visigothic coins with the mint-mark of Theoderic the Great, it goes some way to understanding minting policy during his reign of 511-526AD: do the coins serve a dual purpose of reinforcing Imperial authority and Theoderic’s constitutional position in the West?

Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia, 2019

Imperial authority is inextricably linked with Roman coinage. This association acts as a guarante... more Imperial authority is inextricably linked with Roman coinage. This association acts as a guarantee of quality and of its acceptance as currency. Imperial imagery and administrative codes function as mechanisms of accountability. After the last Western Roman Emperor was deposed around 476 AD, production of Imperial coinage continued. The production of Imperial coinage by barbarian kings is typically referred to as ‘imitation’. Does this term adequately describe minting practice in the 5th and 6th centuries? This article explores the limitations of this term and resolves an unresolved problem in Late Antique numismatics: the attribution of the •T• series tremisses. The implications of this attribution, and how it impacts our understanding of the period, is also discussed.

Recent scholarship into the coinage of the Visigoths has allowed for a better understanding of wh... more Recent scholarship into the coinage of the Visigoths has allowed for a better understanding of what was once believed to be a mono-metallic, and mono-denominational currency. It is evident that the Visigoths produced not only gold tremisses, but also silver and copper denominations, while also using past Imperial coinage and currencies from neighbouring Byzantine territories and Western kingdoms. This article provides a brief account of the history of the Visigoths, and considerations of their coinage use, mining on the Iberian Peninsula, and brief reviews of past scholarship. Ten Visigothic tremisses and three copper fractions held in the Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies (ACANS), as part of the Gale collection, are catalogued.

The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of... more The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of barbarian imitation tremisses identified by the mark •T• (typically appearing on the reverse inscription). This series has traditionally been attributed to the Merovingian king Thierry Ier of Metz, son of Clovis, although this claim has not been fully substantiated and a review of previous scholarship is needed.

In light of new numismatic and archaeological evidence, there is another likely contender for the mark: Theoderic the Great, king of Ostrogothic Italy from 493AD, and king of the Visigoths from 511AD, until his death in 526AD.

This revised attribution contributes to addressing broader questions of authority and minting practices in the barbarian West, and understanding the relationship with the Byzantine Empire as pars imperii.

And, with the coins themselves being Narbonne-issued Visigothic coins with the mint-mark of Theoderic the Great, it goes some way to understanding minting policy during his reign of 511-526AD: do the coins serve a dual purpose of reinforcing Imperial authority and Theoderic’s constitutional position in the West?

The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of... more The aim of this ongoing research project is to resolve the question of attribution of a series of barbarian imitation tremisses identified by the officinal mark •T• (typically appearing on the reverse inscription). This series has traditionally been attributed to the Merovingian king Thierry Ier of Metz from 511-534AD, although this claim has not been fully substantiated. In light of new numismatic and archaeological evidence, there is another likely contender for the mark: Theoderic the Great, king of Ostrogothic Italy from 493AD, and king of the Visigoths from 511AD, until his death in 526AD.

This revised attribution contributes to addressing broader questions of authority and minting practices in the barbarian West, and understanding the relationship with the Byzantine Empire as pars imperii. And, with the coins themselves being Narbonne-issued Visigothic coins with the mint-mark of Theoderic the Great, it goes some way to understanding minting policy during his reign of 511-526AD: do the coins serve a dual purpose of reinforcing Imperial authority and Theoderic’s constitutional position in the West?