What Roman coins say (original) (raw)
Related papers
This paper gathers together previously published parts and a new section on the Historia Augusta. It is mainly a list of references from texts with short discussion.
Coin use in the Roman Republic
In: F. Haymann, W. Hollstein and M. Jehne (eds.), Neue Forschungen zur Münzprägung der Römischen Republik. Beiträge zum internationalen Kolloquium im Residenzschloss Dresden 19.-21. Juni 2014, Nomismata 8 (Bonn 2016) 347-372, 2016
Roman coins are peculiar objects. In the first place, they were the official means of payment of the Roman Empire and thus the most important mass product of the pre-modern era. Because of the many images and texts depicted on ancient coins, we can also correctly refer to Roman coins as the first mass medium of antiquity. Given their intrinsic monetary function, they reached the remotest corners of the empire and were able to communicate the messages of the imperial administration to the people. However, in their aesthetics—both in their materiality and in their function as a means of communication—Roman coins differ fundamentally from their modern relatives. It is precisely this that the present exhibition takes as a starting point, aiming to present a broad perspective of the phenomenon of Roman coins and their peculiar aesthetics and significance in an ancient context. To this end, we have chosen five representative thematic areas, which we believe can be used to present the most important perspectives on ancient life: Beautiful and Ugly / Portraits / Representations of Nature / Dynasties / Role Models. The broad spectrum of themes makes it clear; the beauty or specific nature of these objects is and was truly in the eye of the beholder.
Roman Politics in the Late Empire – and coins
Abstract. Coins provide source material for the study of the Later Empire explicitly from what is written and portrayed on them, and the place and authority in which they were struck, and implicitly by the style of portrait and the choice of reverse type. The use and control of the metals makes a series of political points. Portraiture changed very sharply around the year 294 from individuality to the representation of authority. Reverse types in the later empire were much more limited and concentrated than the wide variety of representations in the earlier empire. The changes crystallised around 274 to 294, the date at which all city mints ceased local production. These are signs of a move towards a heavily centralised money supply dictated by more strongly emphasised authority. Control of metals, especially gold, followed the same path, though reforms in the middle of the fourth century may suggest that silver was let out of state control and 'privatised'.
THE LATE ROMAN ECONOMY – AND COINS
Coins provide a source of information on the Roman economy which is not available in the written sources. They can be studied either as the products of the imperial administration—coins as struck, or as a reflection of coin use—coins as found. Coins as struck are well described in standard works of reference and only a few points of caution need to be added. Coins as found form an area of study that is in its early stages, and a rather basic general survey of the available information and methodology is needed. From these subjects a number of questions for further consideration can be framed.
The Roman coinage in the 4 th and 5 th century AD
The Roman coinage in the 4 th and 5 th century AD, 2013
This paper is the last in a series of papers on Roman coins in which I express my views on the Roman monetary system covering a period of four centuries. Originally I published the information in a book on Roman coins written in Dutch. I decided to lift some parts out of the book, translate them into English and publish the information in the form of short articles on academia.edu.