Historical Roman coins : from the earliest times to the reign of Augustus / descr. by G.F. Hill

HISTORICAL ROMAN COINS FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE REIGN OF AUGUSTUS

DESCRIBED BY

G.

F. (OF

HILL, M.A.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM)

WITH FIFTEEN PLATES

LONDON

CONSTABLE & CO LTD 1909

PREFACE volume

This

intended

is

companion

a

as

to

Historical Greek Coins, published three years ago.

The evidence course of

by Roman

afforded

Roman

history

and the more valuable,

is

of

coins as to the

two kinds.

The

contemporary evidence

is

first, ;

the

historian has to extract from the extant coins such

information as they provide concerning the circumin

stances

which they were

owing

to the

in the

Roman

commemorative race, a certain

habit,

which was strong

number

of coins illustrate

the history of a period which was past issued.

Such pieces give us evidence

than the

first

less

But,

cast or struck.

when they were less

trustworthy

kind, although not infrequently there

is

opportunity of error in the interpretation of their

meaning.

But they

incidentally of interest as

are

indicating the state of opinion which prevailed at the

time

when they were

coin, struck in the

issued.

first

the mission of Lepidus to third century.

A case

century

B.C.,

Egypt

However, in the

in point

is

the

commemorating

at the

end of the

selection of coins for

this volume, preference has naturally

been given to

pieces of the contemporary kind.

The

dry, matter-of-fact

temperament of the Romans

v

PEEFACE is

The

artist is

artistic

imagina-

naturally reflected in their coinage.

seldom carried away by any flight of

from his immediate purpose, which

tion

medium

of

symbolism tend

to

a convenient his

exchange

;

is

to provide

and

his, allegories

be crude and frigid

his

;

references to events are, as far as possible, direct and pointed.

One cannot imagine a Greek

of the fifth or

fourth century proclaiming to the world, with the

help of an inscription, that his coins were issued u for

the purchase of corn."

As

for artistic conception and

execution, traces of good style are here

and there where

faintly perceptible in the earliest coinage,

it

was under Greek influence. Towards the end of the Eepublic the workmanship improves, and the coins provide a certain

number

of striking portraits.

But

even the best Greek engravers employed during the

Augustan age seldom succeed in producing a reverse design that has any merit as a work of art. In

Eoman

the truth

is

numismatics, therefore, the pursuit of

deprived of some of the attractions which

But there

the study of Greek coins presents. lack of sport, for anyone

who

is

is

no

interested in the

interpretation of obscure types, or in the reconciliation of confused or corrupt passages in

Eoman

historians

or antiquaries with the evidence of the coins.

Until recently the history of the earliest

Eoman

coinage has been involved in the utmost obscurity.

But the distinguished vi

scholar

and

collector,

Dr. E.

J.

PEEFACE Haeberlin of Frankfurt, in the most remarkable contribution that has been

made

in recent years to

any

branch of numismatics, has thrown a flood of light on

shown how much in the coinage that has seemed unintelligible and chaotic is, when properly the subject, atid

interpreted, a clear

and orderly development, marching

by side with the progress of Borne Italy and in the ancient world.

side

power in

as a

In the period following the introduction of the denarius,

the arrangement

of

coinage presents

the

problems of a different kind, soluble rather by minute

and patient comparison and

classification

than by the

In

exercise of the historical imagination.

this field

work that was done by Count J. F. W. de Salis, unknown even to professional numismatists, is of extraordinary importance. The whole the

although almost

of

Roman and Byzantine collection in the Museum was arranged by him in the light of

the vast

British

his unrivalled

quantities

of

knowledge and experience. coins,

singly

or

in

almost infallible. collection

and style seems

The

passed

hoards,

through the hands of this indefatigable his eye for fabric

Enormous

to

collector,

and

have become

trays of the British

Museum

have long preserved, in their arrangement,

almost the only record of his work

;

for he seems to

have been singularly averse to publication.

Of

late,

however, his services to Byzantine numismatics have

been duly acknowledged by Mr. Wroth, in the Preface vii

PEEFACE to his the

Catalogue of the Imperial Byzantine Coins in

British

And

Museum.

his

still

work on the Eepnblican period the forthcoming British.

Republican Coins

The

y

fact that,

more important

will be

Museum

embodied in

Catalogue of Roman

by Mr. H. A. Grueber. by Mr. Grueber' s kindness,

I

have

been able during the preparation of this volume to consult the proof-sheets of his Catalogue, so far as

had advanced, has made troublesome than

it

my

task very

might have been.

But

much

it

less

this bald

statement by no means expresses the amount of

my

debt to his unfailing kindness and readiness to place his

knowledge

at

my

disposal in difficult questions of

arrangement and interpretation. forthcoming Catalogue

are,

Eeferences to the

where

possible, inserted

after the descriptions of the coins.

Mr. George Macdonald

also,

with characteristic

generosity, undertook to read not merely the proofs,

but the even

less attractive

manuscript of the book.

Those who know his published work need not be told that his criticisms have been invaluable. I have also, as usual, to thank the authorities of the

Berlin and Paris Cabinets, especially Dr. K. Eegling,

M. A. Dieudonn^ and M.

J.

de Foville, for kindly

providing casts of certain coins not represented in the British

Museum. G.

January^ 1909.

vni

F.

HILL.

GLOSSARY OF SOME TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN THE TEXT Aes grave

the early heavy circular coinage of bronze of

:

Rome and

See p. 11.

Italy.

Aes rude the amorphous lumps :

of bronze

used as currency in Italy

before the introduction of coinage proper.

See pp. 13, 14.

Aes sign at um a term applied to the large quadrilateral "bricks" issued by the Roman mint. See p. 13. As a bronze coin originally corresponding in weight to the libra or pound afterwards reduced. See p. 6 and passim. :

:

;

Attic Standard

Aureus

:

see

Euboic- Attic.

a gold coin, usually equivalent to 25 denarii.

:

See Nos. 51,

55, 56, 58, etc.

Bigatus

Blank

:

:

a coin of which the type

see

is

a two-horse chariot.

See p.

(iO.

Flan.

a standard derived from the Phoenician, the didrachm weighing 7*76 grammes (later reduced to 6*82 grammes). Canting Type or Symbol a type or symbol which indicates, by means of a pun, the person or state to which it refers, as the flamen's cap of Flamininus.

Campanian Standard

:

:

Cast Coins see Struck. Coin a piece of metal :

:

(or,

guarantee of

its

some other convenient and marked with a sign or type as a and weight, and issued by some

exceptionally,

material) artificially shaped

quality

medium of exchange, exchangeable commodities can be Distinguished from a token by having or being expressed. supposed to have an intrinsic value more or less nearly approaching the value imposed upon it by the issuing authority. Countermark a small mark impressed on a coin, usually by some responsible authority, to serve primarily as a in terms of

which the value

of

:

person other than the issuing authority, and intended to giye the coin fresh currency.

ix

"

GLOSSARY Denarius

a silver coin equivalent originally to 10, later to 16

:

asses.

See pp. 29, 47 and passim.

Didrachm

piece of

:

two drachms,

q.v.

by being impressed, The coin in striking was placed between the upper and lower dies. The lower die in ancient times was usually let into an anvil, its fellow inserted in the lower end of a bar of metal, the other end of which could be struck with the hammer. Drachm a division of the stater (q.v.), usually one-half, but in some

Die

:

the instrument containing the design which,

produces the type on a coin.

:

one-third. Usually derived (after Plutarch Lysand. 17) from SpdTT€

124

175

at,

;;

.

INDEX Antonius augur Antonius, M.

triumvir, 118

Armenian

Phraates, 132

113,

of,

118,

(?),

125

his

ff.

;

f.

coinage as

his

;

birthday coins, 124

his relations with Ventidius, 131

;

expedition, 131

;

131

120,

his legates in Gaul, 123

;

uses Hon as badge his

131

cos. des. iter, et tert.,

portraits

:

147

ff.,

;

his expedition against

triumph at Alexandria, 132

on Cleopatra and her sons, 132 f

bestows kingdoms

;

his cistophori, 144

;

.

Anvil, 154

Aplustre, alluding to naval victory, 122

Apollo

:

head

101

of, 9, 19, 24, 72, 89,

;

" Apollo " series of aes grave,

24 Apollonia

coins issued at, 105

:

Appian Way, completion

f.

;

" victoriati "

of, 10, 13,

of,

36

18

See Saturninus.

Appuleius.

Aquillius, M', coins

Ara Romae

commemorating

exploits of, 157

et Augusti, 159

See Triumphal.

Arches.

Aretas III., subjection

of,

98

f.

Argentum Publicum, 83 Arg. Pub., 83 Ariminum, arch

Armenia

at,

151

M. Antonius

expedition of

:

Alexander, son of Cleopatra, 132

;

131

against,

ff.

given to

;

recovered by Augustus, 145

f.

Lesser, given to Polemo, 133 n.

Armenia devicta, 132, 134 Armenia recepta, 145 Armenian arms, 145, 147 :

;

tiara,

131

f.,

145, 147

Artavasdes, king of Armenia, 132 Artaxias, king of Armenia, 146

As

:

earliest libral, 6

f.

;

reductions

in,

21

&.,

30 1, 46

f.

;

of Augustus,

154, 156

Asia,

Commune

Aug.

suf. p., 148

of,

organized by Augustus, 143

f

August., 165

Augustus, 136, 138, 145 Augustus (see also Octavian): portraits of, 136, 138 f., 143, 145, 148, receives oaken crown, laurels and golden 150, 158, 162, 168, 171 recovers lost standards, 138 ff. shield, 137 builds shrine for ;

;

;

them, 141

mune

f.

;

Asiae,

176

his temple of

144

f.

;

Mars

celebrates

Ultor, 140

f. ;

organizes

secular games, 148

;

Com-

restores

;;

INDEX public roads, 150 his

ff.

reforms coinage, 153

;

monetary policy

in the East, 163

patriae," 169; declares

G-.

;

ff.

;

cult of, 158

ff.

receives title of " pater

and L. Caesares his successors, 170;

Monumentum Ancyranum.

will of, see

Augustus tribunic, 'potest., 153 Augustus tr. pot. vbh., 150 Aurei: of Caesar, 100

f.,

the Triumvirs, 118

Ausculum, battle Axe,

A.

a. xli.,

f.

;

of Sulla, 92

f.

;

of

See also Gold.

of (279 B.C.), 26

sacrificial, 101,