This was a small silver coin 4. These denominations were to remain largely unchanged until the Imperial period. The currency now effectively held a token value , as the value of the bullion they contained no longer matched their tariffed prices following the economic trauma of the Hannibalic war. Rome in this period increasingly transformed into a monetised society: coin issues became more frequent, and even regularised; coins became standard for paying soldiers. Henceforth they began to exist in the public sphere beyond their original state-based functionality.
There was of course significant economic change in the following century: the denarius was actually re-tariffed to 16 asses in BC; but the name remained. The tresviri chose the iconography, which became increasingly political over time.
In the mid 2 nd century, the most common reverse was the biga type , with Victory displayed triumphantly driving a two-horse chariot a biga is a pair of horses. This was presumably chosen to reflect the success of Roman conquests, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean over Greece.
Towards the end of the second century, aristocrats began using coinage to promote themselves and their families. Individual moneyers often guided by the tresvir i started issuing coins with iconographic references to their own ancestors. But the full propaganda value of coinage only became apparent in Rome at the end of its Republican period.
Julius Caesar BC famously placed his own living face on the obverse of Roman coins. It was a step he gradually built up to: first he had his own portrait featured on coins in the province of Bithynia 47 BC , where such a practice was less controversial than at home. In Rome, he carried on with modes of self-promotion that had already existed on the coinage for more than half a century until 44 BC, when he decisively he broke with tradition:. Since coins in the Greek East coins represented the heads of monarchs, Caesar was in fact aligning himself with Hellenistic kings — a damning association in a proudly Republican society.
Augustus reformed the coinage system wholesale, regularising denominations and establishing a new mint at Lugdunum modern-day Lyon. The vague, makeshift currency system of the Republic, which was predicated on irregularly-issued denominations, was now replaced with a robust, codified, multi-metallic system:.
Gone were the gods, who were now relegated to the reverses if they were lucky! Since coins were mass-produced and widely circulated beyond the periphery of Rome, the significance of this power projection is easily overlooked — especially since we have become so familiar with numismatic portraiture. But for the contemporary Roman this was something very new: coins brought the image of the ruler to the masses for the first time, since statuary by definition stayed put where it was and was generally confined to urban environments.
As coins increasingly became a vehicle for politics, and a tool of imperial propaganda, so too did they become an area for dissent. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus c.
Give it to me. Manifestly such a thing as coin preference did exist: coins were rarely withdrawn from circulation. Occasionally, this could manifest itself in more extreme ways:.
The system established by Augustus persevered for most of the Imperial period. Yet even this was not to last for long, as the empire was consumed by the political tumult following the end of the Severan dynasty, commonly referred to as the Crisis of the Third Century AD Throughout this prolonged period of civil wars, the denomination system was completely eroded; by the end of the century, most coins looked the same — small bronze disks with varying silver content.
At only eighteen years old, Augustus rose to power and took control of most of the East, and of Africa. During his 40 year rule Augustus controlled changes in the empire such as political, economic and social reforms. Under his rule the Roman empire came to peace, prosperity and security for all of the Roman citizens.
The immense rise to Christianity also took place during this time. The design of this coin features the helmeted head of the goddess Roma galloping on horseback on the reverse. In the early 2nd century BC, a new design was introduced, with Luna the moon goddess and later Victory in a chariot on the reverse.
Gradually, increasing innovation occurred in the design of the denarius, which reflected the influence of the moneyer. One denarius was equivalent to 10 asses. The silver design of this coin was the most common coin to be produced in this time. This was so because the coin itself was worth 10 asses. This coin represents the making of one of Rome's greatest architectural works; the Colosseum. The reason why there is a horse is because of all the supplies and materials the Roman workers had to bring in, in order to complete such a building.
Worth two Asses ; literally means "two-pounder," but even during the Roman Republic it didn't weigh 2 pounds. Though this brass coin was more yellow in color, it was still easily confused with the As. Under Nero, the emperor, it began to show an emperor with a radiate crown. Originally a small silver coin issued around B.
Under Augustus it became a large "golden" orichalcum brass coin, worth 4 Asses. Its large size allowed emperors to commemorate victories, triumphs or virtues as rulers. By the 3rd century A. Emperor Diocletian first minted the Follis , a bronze coin with a minute amount of silver usually a wash , around A. Because of the chaotic state of the empire, it rapidly underwent changes, decreasing in size and weight.
Through time, economic changes forced a reduction in size and weight of the bronze Follis. It was gradually reduced under Constantine, and eventually replaced after the end of the Constantinian Era. This standard silver coin of the Roman Empire depicted an emperor wearing a laurel wreath. First issued around B. Caracalla first minted the A ntoninianus around A. Other equipment included two die usually made of bronze. The die had the negative of the relief image to be created.
The lower die usually had the image of a deity. The upper die that of a symbol of Rome. A blank was warmed in an oven. It was then placed on the lower die. Then the upper die was put above it and struck with a heavy hammer. Initially the minting of all coins was made in the city of Rome.
Later during the Empire, the minting of bronze and of some silver coins could be made at other mints at other locations. It is worth noting that all gold coins were made by only one mint situated in the city of Rome throughout the Republic and in the first few centuries of the Empire.
Coins initially featured deities.
0コメント