Late Roman Coinage Flashcards
(24 cards)
What happens in the third century?
The 3rd century is marked by a rapid devaluation of the silver currency, including the most frequent denomination, the so-called ‘antoniniani’ (worth two denarii)
Denarii between Augustus and Nero contained what percentage of silver?
98%
Caracalla’s antoniniani contained how much silver (around 215 CE)?
Around 50%
Antoniniani minted in the late 260s CE and early 270s CE contained how much silver?
Less than 3%
What are double pieces?
Antoniniani and dupondii
How might we identify double pieces?
Double pieces (e.g. antoniniani or, earlier, dupondii) are often marked by the emperor wearing a radiate crown, or a crescent under, or behind, the bust of an empress.
When was a new currency system introduced?
294 CE
What new coin type was introduced in the late 3rd century?
Nummi (also called folles)
What were nummi? How much did they weigh and how much silver content did they have?
Initially copper alloy coins of c. 10g weight with a silver content of c. 4%
When were nummi minted until?
348 CE
What happened to the nummi?
Devaluation:
By the AD 340s their weight had decreased to 1.65g and the silver content to below 1%
Were copper alloy coins plentiful?
Copper alloy coins were struck in large numbers until the late fourth century, but by c. AD 400 their production virtually ceased in the west
What happened to the trading system in the 5th century?
As copper alloy coins disappeared from circulation in the fifth century, the monetary economy was increasingly replaced by barter trade. Barter economy never ceased to exist altogether throughout the imperial period, but had been increasingly supplemented by monetary transactions.
Which coins were less important in late antiquity than in imperial economy?
Silver coins
Name three types of late antique silver coins?
Late antique silver coins include: argenteus, siliqua, miliarensis
How can we identify 5th century coins?
5th century silver coins were often clipped at the edges or divided - fragments were weighed to determine value
How heavy were aurei under Diocletian?
5.3g
What new coin emerged at the start of the 4th century?
A new gold coin, the solidu, was introduced by emperor Constantine I. in AD 309. Its weight of c. 4.5g remained constant until the 11th century in the Byzantine Empire.
What was the ratio of gold : silver in the late fourth century?
1 : 14.4
What was the ratio of silver : copper in the late fourth century?
1 : 125
What was the ratio of gold : copper in the late fourth century?
1 : 1,800
When did coins start to carry mint marks?
Diocletian’s coin reform 294 CE
What does SM represent?
Sacra Moneta = the sacred mint
How did individual workshops identify themselves on coinage?
Individual workshops, officinae, are often identified by letters of the Latin or Greek alphabet, e.g. A, B and C or A, B, Γ and Δ, Latin numeral, e.g. I and II or abbreviated ordinal numbers, P, S and T for p(rima), the first, s(ecunda), the second and t(ertia), the third.
