Saturday, June 19, 2010

Distinctive Heads And Tails Of Roman Republic Coins

By Alan Brenner

Ancient Roman Republic coins were used not only for their purchasing power but also to convey a message or plan through their designs or writing. The first image shown on the coins was that of the entire Roman state during its Republic in 150-100BC. The 'trio of money men' also known as Tresviri monetales, determined the images to appear on the coins. The numbers of tresviri monetales were raised from three to four by Julius Caesar at the last part of the Republic. The arrangement of these men vanished during the middle of the third century AD.

The denarius of the ancient times depicted the bust of Roma on the front and a deity wheeling a biga or quadriga on the rear side. A small symbol or monogram illustrated as a control mark did appeare, though rarely, on these coins indicating the person accountable for them. However, these monograms and symbols were swapped by the short form names of the moneyers. The family histories of moneyers were displayed by their portrayal on the coins of Sextus Pompeius Fostulus. The depiction of theses multiple references turned out to be the center of the present interest.

A self endorsing portrait on the coins was a way relied upon in the Roman Republic by the ruling class as a part of brutal competition. The height of cut throat rivalry between the higher classes has been displayed by Lex Gabinia, by initiating secret ballots in elections so as to compress electoral corruption. The memorandums were crafted to the elite and not to pressurize the people.

The Roman Republic Denarius released by L. Valerius Flaccus, 108 - 107 B.C., weighs 3.878g with a maximum diameter of 20.5mm. The obverse showed an image of a winged and draped bust of Victory, while the reverse displays Mars walking left holding a spear in right and a trophy in left.

The Roman Republic coins released by M.Porcius Laeca, during 125 BC, each had a weight of around 3.768g and a width of 18.3 mm, depicted the Roma in a winged helmet on the head and Libertas, holding rod and pileus in a running quadriga on the tail of the coin.

This Roman Republic coin, L. Caecilius Metellus, 128 B.C., shows the head of Roma facing right in a winged helmet on the front, while Pax or Juno is in a biga facing right and an elephant head with bell at the neck below on the reverse. This coin weighs .788g, with a maximum diameter of 18.9mm.

Mn.Fonteius issued the ancient Roman Republic 7 and 8 denarius in 107-108 BC. The displayed laureate and combined heads of Dioscuri were on the front and a portrait of a galley under oar was on the rear side of his coins. These coins weighed 3.880 g and measured 19.9mm.

Almost a limitless variety of these ancient Roman Republic coins are obtainable. These coins provide a great investment opportunity as their value will most likely stretch northward in the years to come and possessing these coins means treasuring an ancient civilization.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment