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© 2004-2006 Andrew McCabe. If you've
any questions or comments please contact me on the Yahoo Group RROME: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RROME
Link to :
Andrew
McCabe's home page
Comprehensive Catalogues
Auction and Museum Catalogues
Introductory Handbooks
History
Coins and History
Hoards and Archaeology
Minting and Money
Period-specific studies
Provincial and Imitative
Books and Websites about Books
RR_Bronze_Rarities
Coins and History
Essential
H. A. Grueber, Coins of the Roman Republic in the British Museum (London, 1910; reprinted 1970).
Reviewed in the Comprehensive Catalogue section. Essential.
Ancient History from coins, Christopher Howgego, London 1995
A very intelligent book addressing
what we can learn from ancient coins – its chapters have quite conceptual
headings: money, minting, empires, politics, circulation, crisis – consistent
with the thematic nature of the book.
Coinage & Money Under the Roman Republic: Italy and the Mediterranean Economy, Michael Crawford, 1985
Essential. Reviewed in the
Provincial Coins section.
Harl, K. W., Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C.-700 A.D. Baltimore, 1996
This book takes an economic perspective on coins, ignoring the usual
numismatic focus on rarities, types, designs, magistrates and so on. It is
refreshing to read about Roman coins simply as "money" - what is
it for, how it was used, what was its macro-economic impact. A good read.
Useful
A Dictionary of Roman Coins, Seth W. Stevenson, 1889, reprinted 1964
Monumental and very useful for family histories and their coins. Much
better than the 1990 dictionary by Melville-Jones which eliminated all the
interesting Republican references in favour of those dull old emperors.
Roman Historical Portraits, J.M. Toynbee, London 1978
The intent of this book is to present
Roman portraiture in all media, excluding the Emperors. Since many Republican
personages are only known from the portraits on their coins (particularly
provincial coins in the Imperatorial era) this book is to a great extent a
survey of Republican Roman portraiture on coins. Many good illustrations Not
difficult to find.
Historical Roman Coins, G.F. Hill, London 1909
Whilst its dating is outdated this
is still an excellent book as most of the historical inferences to be drawn
from Republican coin types remain valid. It takes a no-nonsense approach to
what is regards as the “Roman” era and stops firmly at the end of the Roman
Republic.
Harlan, Michael: Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins; 63BC-49BC 1995
Proposes a revised chronology and
provides extensive historical background for coins of the period. Very readable
particularly on the personal histories of the various magistrates, but not an
academic numismatic analysis - it concentrates more on the history than on
numismatic evidence for the proposed redating. Harlan’s proposed dating is not
entirely consistent with conclusions now drawn from the Mesagne hoard.
Medaglie, Inscrittioni et altre Antichita, Antonio Augusto, Rome 1592
A set of dialogues on Roman and Greek
coins that compare and discuss coins having similar types e.g. “naval
victories”, “African themes”. Many Republican coins. Hundreds of superb
large-scale artistic illustrations which aim not only to reproduce the general
look of the coins, but add in details such as facial expression or accurate
accoutrements on reverse types that would have been impossible for a
coin-engraver – the best line drawings in my library.
Familiae
Romanae in Antiquis Numismatibvs ab urbe condita ad tempora Divi Avgvsti,
Fulvius Orsini, bound together with De Familiis Romanorvm, Antonio Augusto. Various editions from 1577 onwards
The first book to explore the family arrangement of
Republican coins in a layout that is entirely recognizable as a predecessor to
Roman Silver Coins. 223 engraved plates in the text from Aburia to Volteia,
accompanied by discussions on family histories. “One of the few Renaisance
numismatic texts that Eckhel in 1785 considered still useful to read”
(Cunnally, Images of the Illustrious). The accompanying unillustrated text by
Augustin also addresses family histories.
Doctrina
Numorum Veterum, Joseph Eckhel, 1792-1828, 8 volumes
An important academic work on ancient coins that introduced
many of today’s classification rules, e.g. the ‘clockwise around the
Mediterranean starting in Spain’ convention for Greek coins. Volume 6 which
covers the Roman Imperatorial series is available free without illustrations on
Google Books (just search for Eckhel Doctrina). The British Musuems permanent
Enlightment exhibition space displays a copy of Eckhel alongside a tray from
King George III’s coin cabinet to illustrate how the King changed his coin
arrangement after the publication of Echkel.
Eventi
e Personaggi Sul Denario della Repubblica Romana, E Bernareggi, 1963
Interesting review of coin types and personages.
Not
Useful
Die
Bildnismünzen der römischen Republik, G.Lahusen, 1989
Portrait coins of the Roman Republic,
89 plates. German. Sounds useful but it isn’t – the coverage is very narrow,
including only mainstream Republican coinage and excluding Caesar, Antony,
Pompey, Lepidus, Octavian and all their families. Amazing. This leaves just
Sulla/Rufus, Brutus/Ahala, Marcellinus, Brutus, Ahenobarbus and a couple more –
the plates consisting of repetitive obverse pictures of a small number of
coins. Perhaps useful for die studies.
Roman Historical Coins, Clive Foss, 1990
A terrible
book, which one can tell from the ominous first words “In general the coinage
of the Republic does not deal with contemporary events”. The book reflects a
massive failure of understanding of Republican coinage, which from the very earliest
times are full of allusions or references to current events e.g. the
Elephant/Chickens currency bar that commemorated the victory over Pyrrhus in
Beneventum 275BC, or in the way that the family commemoration of past events
acted as current propaganda for the senior magistrates then in power with types
that reflected the concerns of the time. Hardly any Republican coverage and no
wonder. Rubbish.