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Studies: Early Roman Coinage

Essential

R. Thomsen, Early Roman Coinage (3 volumes, Copenhagen, 1957-1961).

Fundamental research on early Roman coinage on which all later books rely. It lays out exhaustive and scientific proofs for the dating of coinage pre 200 BC, which still hold good except for corrections that have resulted from more recent hoard evidence. It is a book you need only read once - then all the references in Crawford to "see Thomsen ERC" will make sense. As well as addressing dating, it contains a lot of material evidencing mint-locations in the 2^nd Punic war, which greatly enhances collecting interest for this period. It also has useful contextual discussions on the local Italian currencies. Volume 1, which is often available on its own, surveys the numismatic evidence, with photos of both Roman and related local Italian issues, and has an excellent survey of prior numismatic research. Volumes 2 and 3 address respectively the date of the introduction of the denarius, and pre-denarius coinage, which seems an odd order, however understanding the date of the denarius is the essential pre-cursor to any discussion of the pre-denarius coinage.

Unpublished Roman Republican bronze coins, by R. Russo in Essays Hersh 1998

A large addition to the corpus of Roman Republican struck bronzes. Whilst many of the added coins are small denominations missing from existing series, Russo begins to explore the Crawford 56 series, which has a number of visually distinct types embedded within it, and concludes that the largest flan As of the earliest style probably falls within Crawford 41 series. He also draws a general conclusion that circle diameter rather than weight is probably the distinguishing factor between different series of anonymous bronzes. This is a foundation work which should lead to further study of anonymous bronzes.

Useful

Italian Cast Coinage, BK Thurlow and IG Vecchi

The standard reference on Aes Grave and Aes Signatum, easy to use, all examples illustrated although both the coins and pictures are of mediocre quality. The book contains very little numismatic discussion and is mainly useful as a type-catalogue – Crawford RRC, and updates in History Numorum Italy, provide the evidential background.

Sydenham, E A Aes Grave: A Study of the Cast Coinages of Rome and
Central Italy Roman London 1926

A reduction to handbook format of Haeberlin’s work on the Aes Grave coinage. 145 pages, 28 plates. Available as an inexpensive Forni reprint.

The First Roman Silver Coins, Andrew Burnett, Lugano, 1978

Proposes a redating of the first silver didrachms, earlier than proposed by Crawford. The conclusions made their way into HNI which Burnett edited.

Asse Romano e Asse Italico Nuove ricerche sulla prima monetazione di Roma, Luigi Pedroni, 1996; and Ricerche sulla prima monetazione di Roma, Luigi Pedroni, 1993

The first discusses the Roman and Italian aes grave standards in the context of records on weights and monetary payments. The second puts forward some new views on the absolute and relative chronology of early Roman didrachms and aes grave.

A Sicilian Quadrigatus mint: the issue with the wheat-ear control mark, Charles Hersh, Essays Carson and Jenkins, 1993

Selinus and the quadrigatus, by Michael Crawford in Essays Hersh 1998

The Mars/eagle and thunderbolt gold and Ptolemaic involvement in the Second Punic War, by A.R. Meadows in Essays Hersh 1998

More evidence for the early denarius, by Richard Schaefer in Essays Hersh 1998

Some late early Republican quinarii, by Richard Witschonke in Essays Hersh 1998

These five essays cover various issues in the 2nd Punic war period. All important.

Some Additional Roman Republican Overstrikes, C.A. Hersh, ANS Notes 32, 1987

Adds to the corpus listed by Crawford in RRC

Not Useful

Aes Signatum, T.L.Comparette, reprinted 1978

Completely outdated and light on content.

Studies: Mid-Republic

Essential

Annali d’Istituto Italiano di Numismatica, Vol.29 (AIIN29), Rome 1982

Proceedings of a conference on Roman Republican coinage held in Rome 1982. Nine papers plus records of the expert discussion (the papers are individually reviewed elsewhere on this site). Many of the papers are classics, including Crawford’s “Unofficial Imitations and Small Change”, Burnetts “Currency of Italy” and HB Mattingly’s “Management of the Roman Mint”. The conference marked a watershed in the study of Republican coinage, which prior to this time mainly focused on identifying its content, dates, types and mints, but in more recent times has been more concerned with the organization and usage of coinage, in which small change and local currencies play a much bigger role than in the classical numismatic approach. Essential.

From Coins to History: Selected Numismatic Studies, Harold B Mattingly, 2004

HB Mattingly presents his key papers written over the last 40 years or so. Of particular interest, and essential reading, is the series of incremental changes that he proposes for denarius dating in the mid-Republic (150BC – 50BC), based on evolving evidence. Also important is his commentaries on mint organization, moneyers and the control of coinage.

Useful

La Monetazione Degli Insorti Italici Durante la Guerra Sociale (91-87 AC), A. Campana, 1987.

The standard work, including die-studies, on Social War coinage. Very difficult to find. The following website includes a recent essay by Michael Crawford on Social War coinage:

http://www2.sas.ac.uk/icls/imaginesit/samples/socialwar.html

The coinage of the Social War, by Andrew Burnett in Essays Hersh 1998

Excellent overview of the social war coinage; lacking Campana – there are few good alternatives given that Campana is so difficult to find.

The currency of Italy from the Hannabalic war to the reign of Augustus, Andrew Burnett, AIIN 29, 1982

Prices, wages and small change. Interesting.

Roman Republican coinage c.150-90 B.C., by H. B. Mattingly in Essays Hersh 1998

Important for the redating of the mid-Republic denarius, but best read in HB Mattingly’s “From Coins to History” so that it can be seen in the light of his earlier studies and his studies on other periods.

De Ruyter's die study of the denarii of L. Julius Bursio, NC 1996.

Less Useful

Bompois, H F Les Types Monetaires de la Guerre Sociale Paris 1873

The standard Social War work prior to Campana, easier to find but probably not worth getting. Just three plates of line drawings.

Studies: Imperatorial period

Essential

David Sear, the History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators, 49-27 BC (1988)

Sear’s HCRI, separately reviewed in the Comprehensive Catalogue section, is essential.

Octavian's Gold and Silver Coinage from 32 to 27 BC, CHV Sutherland, Quaderni Ticinesi 1976

This study underpins the RIC arrangement for the Caesar Divi F and Imp Caesar coins, provides evidence for the currently accepted dating, and an interesting commentary on the paired-types arrangement. More useful than RIC itself. Entirely omitted from Crawford.

WOYTEK, Bernhard. Arma et Nummi. VOAW. 2003.

I’ve as yet only browsed this book (German text), but the scale of changes it proposes to the Imperatorial series (redating or changing mint locations for 28 Crawford issues, listed below), based on extensive analysis, is so radical that it must be in the essential list. Publishers blurb: “This is a fundamentally new in-depth analysis of the finances of the Roman state in the years 49 to 42 B.C. It not only assembles all the ancient literary evidence for financial affairs in this period, but also analyses the contemporary coinages in minute detail, concentrating on problems of dating and localisation. Thus it provides an exciting overall perspective on the production of money and the financial transactions both of the state and of leading politicians in the years from the outbreak of the civil war between Caesar and Pompey to the battle of Philippi. The fresh insight gained into the financial background of the outbreak of the Alexandrian war, into Caesar’s donativa, his financial dispositions during the monarchy, his confiscation of the Pompeian estates etc. is as valuable as the new dating and/or localisation of some well-known coinages of the period as compared with M. H. Crawford’s arrangement (esp. RRC Nos. 440-515). In addition, the study presents innovative typological interpretations of and technical comments on many of the issues involved.” 12 plates, indices, charts. Since the proposed changes are unlikely to be available anywhere else on the web I list them here (without comment as to their validity):

(Cr441) was Rome 49BC now Illyria - Apollonia 49BC; (Cr443) was unknown travelling mint 49-48C now Gallia Norbonesis & Hispania citerior 49BC; (Cr444) was unknown travelling mint 49BC now Asia 49BC; (Cr446) was Greek travelling mint 49BC now Corcyra early 48BC; (Cr447) was Greek travelling mint 49BC now Dyrrachium early 48BC; (Cr452) was unknown travelling mint July 48C - 47BC now Apollonia early - mid 48BC; (Cr458) was Africa 47-46 BC now Asia 48-47 BC; (Cr467) was uncertain 46BC now Sicily 46BC; (Cr475) was Rome 45BC now Rome late 46BC - early 45BC; (Cr476) was uncertain 45BC now Rome late 46 - early 45 BC; (Cr477) was Spain Salpensa 45-44BC now Southern Spain, camp mint, 44BC; (Cr478) was Spain 45-44BC now Sicily up to end 43BC; (Cr479) was Spain or Sicily up to 45BC now Sicily 42-38BC; (Cr483) was travelling mint, Marseille area 44-43 BC now Sicily 42-38BC; (Cr485,486,487) was Rome 43BC now Rome 41BC; (Cr488) was Transalpine & Cisalpine Gaul 43BC now Cisalpine Gaul late 43BC; (Cr489/1-4) was Transalpine & Cisalpine Gaul 43-42BC now Transalpine Gaul 43BC; (Cr489/5-6) was Transalpine & Cisalpine Gaul 43-42BC now Lugudunum 42 BC; (Cr495) was Italy 42BC now Italy late 43BC; (Cr 496/1/2) was travelling mint 42BC possibly Butrhotum/Epirus now camp mint Italy 42BC; (Cr496/3) was travelling mint 42BC possibly Epirus now camp mint Greece 42BC; (Cr511) was Sicily 42-40BC now Sicily 37-36BC; (Cr512,513,514,515) was Rome 41BC now Rome 43BC; (Cr550) was Laodiceia ad Lycum 88BC now Rome 46BC.

Useful

The Triumviral Portrait Gold of the Quattuorviri Monetales of 42 BC, T.V. Buttrey, ANS NNM 137, New York 1956

The Pietas denarii of Sextus Pompey. T.V. Buttrey, Numismatic Chronicle 1960

The denarius of Cn. Pompeius Jr. and M. Minatius Sabinus, T.V. Buttrey, ANS notes 9, 1960

The Sicilian Coinage of Sextus Pompey (Crawford 511), J. de Rose-Evans, ANS notes 32, 1987

Four definitive studies on Imperatorial series.

Caesar’s Quattuorviri of 44BC, Colin Kraay, NC 1954

Many attempts have been made to arrange Caesar’s 44BC coins, notably Crawford and Alföldi. I’m advised that this 1956 study is the still the clearest.

Caesar in 44 v. Chr. Volume I. Studien zur Caesars Monarchie und ihrer Wurzeln 1986; Volume II. Das Zeugnis der Münzen, Bonn. A. Alföldi.

Alföldi’s major study on the Caesar portrait coins. German. Volume 1 has 23 plates, Volume 2 has 156 plates. Not yet reviewed

The Portrait of Caesar on the Denarii of 44 B.C. and the Sequence of the Issues, A. Alföldi, in Centennial Publication of The American Numismatic Society. New York, 1958

An English monograph by Alföldi’s on the Caesar portrait coins. Not yet reviewed.

La Monnaie de Rome a la fin de la Republique, Christine Perez, 1989

Discussion of coin types in the late Republic, illustrated with mediocre pictures from the Bourgey archive. French. The book fills a useful niche – a consistent theme in modern numismatics is a tendency to take typology for granted as related research dates back hundreds of years. Inexpensive and in print.

Political Propoganda in the Coinage of the Late Roman Republic, Leslaw Morawiecki, 1983

Discussion of types and their propaganda role for a range of Imperatorial issues. Interesting.

Q. Oppius P.R., E. Baden, ANS Notes 29, 1984

Provides further evidence supporting the 88BC date and Laodiceia ad Lycum mint for Q.Oppius orichalcum coins proposed by Crawford. However Grueber and Woytek take a different view, assigning them to Rome 46-45BC in parallel with the Clovius dupondius. Grant (FITA) and Sydenham propose 32BC in Laodiceia ad Lycum. I enjoy such controversies.

Sicily and the Coinage of Octavian and Sextus Pompey: Aeneas or the Catanean brothers, E.M. Zarrow, NC 2003

Discusses types and motives on the Sicilian coinage of Octavian and Sextus Pompey.

Monetazione bronzea romana tardo-repubblicana - 2. Sextus Pompeius. Rodolfo Martini, 1995

Colossal die-study of the CN.MAG, EPPIVS LEG and MAGN PIVS IMP bronze issues. 300 pages text + 93 plates, with analysis discussing the different issues (four distinct groups in the case of Cr479), mint locations etc.

Monetazione bronzea romana tardo-repubblicana.- 1. Divos Iulius di Octavianus, “assi” di Sextus Pompeius, emissioni dei prefetti di Antonius. Rodolfo Martini 1988

Self explanatory title, not yet reviewed by me however the other Martini books in this series fill a useful niche in analyzing late Republican bronzes so would expect this is similar.

The coinage of Bibulus again, by Michel Amandry in Essays Hersh 1998

A short catalogue of Bibulus’ fleet bronzes.