Ancient Roman Numismatics Research Papers (original) (raw)
ANCIENT ROMANS WERE practical-minded people; they didn't like wasted effort. Every letter on an ancient Roman coin die was painstakingly engraved by hand, so inscriptions on Roman coins are often heavily abbreviated. Generations of... more
ANCIENT ROMANS WERE practical-minded people; they didn't like wasted effort. Every letter on an ancient Roman coin die was painstakingly engraved by hand, so inscriptions on Roman coins are often heavily abbreviated. Generations of classical scholars have toiled to unravel the meaning of these cryptic abbreviations, so we can usually understand what the coins are trying to tell us.
The recording and precise positioning of coin finds are extremely important for the study of monetary circulation in the region to the North of the Black Sea. In recent decades progress has been made in this field and the situation in the... more
The recording and precise positioning of coin finds are extremely important for the study of monetary circulation in the region to the North of the Black Sea. In recent decades progress has been made in this field and the situation in the region to the NorthWest of the Black Sea and the adjacent part of Eastern Europe has been clarified once and for all.' Further research is required, however, with regard to monetary circulation in the northeastern part of the Black Sea region (particularly in the Cimmerian Bosporus) in the 5th century AD. In view of the fact that Roman gold coins of this period are encountered extremely rarely and constitute only a very small coin-group, each new find is of considerable interest. We shall therefore attempt to consider the Theodosius II solidi published in this short article in conjunction with currently available information on coins from the reigns of both this and other emperors found in the region to the North of the Black Sea and adjacent territories. In the summer of 1985 during excavations at the Zelyony Mys (Green Cape) settlement on the East-Crimean coast of the Sea of Azov (97.5 kms west of Cape Zyuk) the remains of a a modest dwelling were unearthed which had a compacted clay floor and had been destroyed in the third quarter of the 6th century. In the habitation level of the 4th-5th century containing fragments of amphorae, hand-moulded pottery vessels and a red-lacquer plate bearing a stamp shaped like a fish, a glass wine-glass for receiving communion and a copper coin from the reign of Rescuporis VI (314-342), two gold coins2 of one and the same
Impressive collection of Roman Republican, Roman Imperial and Byzantine coins. Many rare and unique coins including gold-multiples of Constantius, Magnentius and Decentius. Another focus is on the Gallic Empire, especially Postumus, who... more
Impressive collection of Roman Republican, Roman Imperial and Byzantine coins. Many rare and unique coins including gold-multiples of Constantius, Magnentius and Decentius. Another focus is on the Gallic Empire, especially Postumus, who is represented by aurei and off-strikes thereof.
22 perforated coins were excavated in the Aquincum-Graphisoft cemetery, the eastern graveyard of the civil town, primarily found in child graves. This is surprising compared to the general scarcity of these pierced coins in... more
22 perforated coins were excavated in the Aquincum-Graphisoft cemetery, the eastern graveyard of the civil town, primarily found in child graves. This is surprising compared to the general scarcity of these pierced coins in larger numbers. Most peculiar are the coins with three perforations that are diffcult to interpret, and are mostly found on the Middle anubianlimes. The closest parallels are from the Viminacian cemeteries in Moesia Superior, where a large number were deposited in child graves. In several cases these perforated coins formed part of a necklace or bracelet that were given as toys and protection to the infants, since they were more exposed to harm.
This workshop organised by François de Callataÿ and Antony Hostein is about names on coins (Greek, Hellenistic and Provincial). It will be held in l'INHA, Paris IIe, on Thursday 11th January. Our guest speaker will be Dan Dana (CNRS). For... more
This workshop organised by François de Callataÿ and Antony Hostein is about names on coins (Greek, Hellenistic and Provincial). It will be held in l'INHA, Paris IIe, on Thursday 11th January. Our guest speaker will be Dan Dana (CNRS). For more informations, see the full programme (in French) in the attached file.
- by Antony HOSTEIN and +1
- •
- Roman History, Hellenistic History, Onomastics, Identity (Culture)
This paper focus on a century of interaction between a colonial agent (Rome) and an indigenous people (known in classical texts as the Laietani), who inhabited the area before the arrival of the conquerors. This paper investigates how... more
This paper focus on a century of interaction between a colonial agent (Rome) and an indigenous people (known in classical texts as the Laietani), who inhabited the area before the arrival of the conquerors. This paper investigates how contact between the two societies may be detected in the archaeological record, and, where possible, what changes in local culture resulted.
The paper is in two parts. The first and largest part presents the archaeological sites of the Cabrera de Mar valley and its material culture, and documents the contacts over time between those that occupied the valley and those who arrived from the Italian peninsula. A number of indices of such contacts are considered; these include architecture, construction techniques, imported pottery, epigraphy and the monetary system. The second part of the paper considers whether it is possible to detect in the valley not only cultural contact, but also cultural change.
La quête de légitimité politique est une des préoccupations majeures des protagonistes des conflits civils de la fin de la République romaine. Il a été reconnu de longue date que les types monétaires furent l’un des nombreux supports et... more
La quête de légitimité politique est une des préoccupations majeures des protagonistes des conflits civils de la fin de la République romaine. Il a été reconnu de longue date que les types monétaires furent l’un des nombreux supports et vecteurs des discours idéologiques élaborés à cette fin. Par ailleurs, des travaux plus récents ont mis en lumière l’importance – non seulement économique, mais aussi symbolique – des réformes monétaires dans les régimes césarien et augustéen, où la remise en ordre de la monnaie apparaît comme une pièce indispensable de la restauration politique. Cette contribution tentera de préciser les différents rôles joués par la monnaie dans les stratégies de légitimation des protagonistes de la scène politique au Ier siècle av. J.-C., de Sylla à Auguste. Il s’agira d’une part d’identifier, pour chaque étape de la carrière de ces personnages, la teneur des discours élaborés pour soutenir leur position, afin de distinguer entre éléments « militaires » et « civiques », entre idéologie « impératoriale » et « de restauration » (les deux thématiques pouvant être fusionnées). D’autre part, nous tenterons de déterminer si, et le cas échéant dans quelle mesure, ces différents types de légitimation ont entraîné des innovations dans le domaine monétaire, et si celles-ci doivent être simplement considérées comme une série de mesures ad hoc ou si l’on peut y voir la marque d’une politique cohérente.
Kubitschek contributed his research on the Ara Pacis coins of Nero and Domitian to Petersen in 1901/02 but found P was not going to make sufficient use of them, so he published the article himself. K went to much effort to find the best... more
Kubitschek contributed his research on the Ara Pacis coins of Nero and Domitian to Petersen in 1901/02 but found P was not going to make sufficient use of them, so he published the article himself. K went to much effort to find the best preserved museum pieces, only to discover it was easy to buy just as good coins in the Paris antiquities markets. He sees the differences between Nero's and Domitian's issues, which are different sides of the same building. Simplifications on the coins should not reject the whole (do not throw out the baby with bathwater) because it is hard to render accuracy on a coin of a building like the Ara Pacis or Trajan's Column.
Catalogazione di monete romane di III-IV secolo d.C. e breve storia della monetazione nel periodo coperto dalla collezione.
This undergraduate senior honors thesis investigates how imperial sovereignty is reproduced in politically contested regions. Centering on the politically volatile region of ancient Armenia, I use disparate assemblages of imperial... more
This undergraduate senior honors thesis investigates how imperial sovereignty is reproduced in politically contested regions. Centering on the politically volatile region of ancient Armenia, I use disparate assemblages of imperial Parthian, Roman, and Armenian coins in order to understand how each competing polity established claims to legitimate sovereignty by mobilizing coins as a shared medium of their political and economic systems. I turn to new materialist archaeology to move beyond standard symbolic or metallurgical coinage analysis and towards a more holistic and contextual view of coins and their malleable roles in antiquity in both shaping and being shaped by tenuous imperial claims to sovereignty.
HIJOS DE TITANES · EL SECRETO ÍBERO, es el libro en el cual Enrique Cabrejas nos relata de modo llano su experiencia personal con un descubrimiento extraordinario. El 21 de Abril de 2012 consiguió lo que parecía imposible: DESCIFRÓ LA... more
HIJOS DE TITANES · EL SECRETO ÍBERO, es el libro en el cual Enrique Cabrejas nos relata de modo llano su experiencia personal con un descubrimiento extraordinario. El 21 de Abril de 2012 consiguió lo que parecía imposible: DESCIFRÓ LA LENGUA IBÉRICA. Un hito sin precedentes en la historia de la escritura, solo al alcance de los grandes y comparable a los realizados por Champollion al descodificar la escritura jeroglífica egipcia o Michael Ventris con la escritura de Creta. Desde este instante la obra de Enrique Cabrejas lo convierte en un referente destacado a nivel mundial en historia y lingüística. Las innumerables pruebas y significados que nos reporta, antes desconocidos, son una referencia obligada para todos aquellos que quieran comprender la historia, la lengua antigua e, incluso, también la moderna de nuestro país, o para quienes en el futuro deseen estudiarla e investigarla en profundidad, más si cabe desde el mundo académico. Hasta la fecha, el significado de esas enigmáticas escrituras no se conocía, aunque desde la comunidad científica se le dio validez a un origen indiscutible celta. Estas páginas nos revelan qué hay de cierto en todo ello. La transcripción, resuelta de numerosos textos íberos y celtíberos nos sorprende con un desenlace tan inesperado como fascinante que va más allá del descifrado de una lengua antigua. Capaz de responder a las preguntas que se han formulado los historiadores, lingüistas, investigadores y expertos durante décadas y nunca supieron ni acertaron responder: ¿Quiénes fueron los íberos y los celtíberos? ¿Cómo se llamaban? ¿De dónde vinieron? ¿Cómo llegaron? ¿Cuáles fueron sus costumbres? ¿Qué escritura es la ibérica? ¿Cuál es la ancestral y extraordinaria cultura que nos legaron?
The Roman numismatic coins of the Silla History and Archaeology Museum (Valencia, Spain) are made public. It is a museum that gards coins which come from two archaeological excavations recently made in two villae located in its municipal... more
The Roman numismatic coins of the Silla History and Archaeology Museum (Valencia, Spain) are made
public. It is a museum that gards coins which come from two archaeological excavations recently made in
two villae located in its municipal district: La Font del Gat and Silla, last one in the historical centre of
population. Four high-imperial coins were recovered in the first villa, without archaeological context, and
in the second one a monetary set was found, made up of by a ring and four coins; three ases of Claudius I
of Hispanic mint and an as of Galba, which appeared in a Roman thermal bath, in the middle of the trench
of the foundation of the wall that separates the changing area of the space which gives way to the cold area
or an unctorium. Probably it is a foundational deposit with votive components. A brief current situation of
the knowledge has been done of the ancient numismatic in the region of “L’Horta Sud” of Valencia.
Se dan a conocer los fondos numismáticos romanos del Museo de Historia y Arqueología de Silla. Se
trata de un museo que custodia monedas provenientes de dos intervenciones arqueológicas efectuadas recientemente
en dos villas romanas localizadas en su término municipal: la de La Font del Gat y la de Silla,
esta última situada en el centro histórico de la población. De la primera villa se recuperaron cuatro monedas
altoimperiales sin contexto arqueológico y de la segunda se halló un conjunto monetario, formado
por un anillo y cuatro monedas: tres ases de Claudio I de ceca hispana y un as de Galba, el cual apareció
en unas termas romanas, en mitad de la zanja de fundación del cimiento del muro que separaba la zona
de muda del espacio de la sala fría o de un unctorium. Se trata de un probable depósito fundacional con
componentes votivos. También aquí se hace un sucinto estado de la cuestión del conocimiento de la numismática
antigua en la comarca de l´Horta Sud de Valencia.
This article explores the connection between evidence for Roman signalling systems and the Roman coin type known commonly as 'campgates'
THE RICH VOCABULARY OF NUMISMATICS has many terms to describe the things we see on coins. When a coin depicts two heads side by side, the usual description is " jugate busts ". The word derives from the Latin iuga, meaning " yoke ". Think... more
THE RICH VOCABULARY OF NUMISMATICS has many terms to describe the things we see on coins. When a coin depicts two heads side by side, the usual description is " jugate busts ". The word derives from the Latin iuga, meaning " yoke ". Think of a pair of oxen yoked together. Jugate busts are intended to represent a close relationship between the two figures: husband and wife, brother and brother, ruler and divinity.
The kneeling figure with camel on the reverse of the denarius of A. Plautius has generally been identified as Aristobulus II. It is argued here that he is identifiable as his brother Hyrcanus II instead. In addition to the argument of... more
The kneeling figure with camel on the reverse of the denarius of A. Plautius has generally been identified as Aristobulus II. It is argued here that he is identifiable as his brother Hyrcanus II instead. In addition to the argument of Hollstein in support of this identification, it is noted that the legend BACCHIVS facilitates a pun upon the name of Hyrcanus, literally meaning ‘Hyrcanian’. As a ‘Bacchic Hyrcanian’, Hyrcanus is implicitly compared to the tamed Hyrcanian tigers used by Bacchus to draw his triumphal chariot, a fitting comparison because of his submission to Roman authority.
Nel 1887 veniva alla luce l’unica necropoli romana nota di Cles (Trento). Lo studioso Luigi de Campi fornisce un resoconto dettagliato della scoperta, grazie al quale è possibile oggi proporre nuove riflessioni intorno alla localizzazione... more
Nel 1887 veniva alla luce l’unica necropoli romana nota di Cles (Trento). Lo studioso Luigi de Campi fornisce un resoconto dettagliato della scoperta, grazie al quale è possibile oggi proporre nuove riflessioni intorno alla localizzazione del sito, alla topografia della necropoli e dell’abitato di Cles e alla rete viaria che lo attraversava. Oltre a ciò, l’acribia descrittiva dell’archeologo anaune consente di identificare sotto il profilo tipo-cronologico molti dei reperti pertinenti al contesto funerario – per parte dei quali, ancora oggi conservati presso il Castello del Buonconsiglio, si fornisce qui una prima edizione – e di approfondire il significato storico ed ideologico della sepoltura di un probabile soldato di epoca tetrarchica, inumato assieme ad un gruzzolo di monete piuttosto singolare.
Artykuł poświęcony jest zagadnieniu związków pomiędzy gemmami a monetami. Autor w bardzo ogólny sposób zwraca w nim uwagę na kilka obszarów podobieństw zarówno w kwestiach technologicznych, ikonografii jak i funkcjach jakie pełniły obie... more
Artykuł poświęcony jest zagadnieniu związków pomiędzy gemmami a monetami. Autor w bardzo ogólny sposób zwraca w nim uwagę na kilka obszarów podobieństw zarówno w kwestiach technologicznych, ikonografii jak i funkcjach jakie pełniły obie kategorie zabytków. Wskazuje w nim nowe problemy badawcze (np.: zbadanie relacji gemm i monet w odniesieniu do propagandy uprawianej w I w. p.n.e. oraz na początku I w. n.e.) oraz postuluje podjęcie badań podstawowych nad opisywanym zagadnieniem.
[EN] This note intends to provide a preliminary overview of the spectacular late Roman coin hoard recently found at Tomares in Spain. The report considers general information released by the City Council of Tomares and the archaeological... more
[EN] This note intends to provide a preliminary overview of the spectacular late Roman coin hoard recently found at Tomares in Spain. The report considers general information released by the City Council of Tomares and the archaeological Museum of Seville (depository institution of the treasure), i.e. archaeological context of the find, type of the amphorae containing the coins, and chronology of the most relevant numismatic specimens. Furthermore, it provides an important parallel with the largest coin hoard of Antiquity, the so-called Treasure of Misurata (Libia).