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Numismatics query

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by dwrmatt (U1984005) on Thursday, 16th March 2006

  Hi,
  
  Sorry to show my ignorance, but I'm not too hot on Roman coins. An A-level essay I'm marking claims that Julius Caesar was the first person since the kings to issue coins with his portrait on them. As I say, it's not something that I'm 100% on, but I'm fairly sure that this is hogwash. Can anyone back me up?
  

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• Message 2

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  Posted by RainbowFfolly (U3345048) on Friday, 17th March 2006

  Hi dwrmatt,
  
  Issuing coins with an individuals portrait would seem to have gone against the ideals of the Republic, and I guess it would also be a pretty dangerous thing to do considering the Republican Romans' hatred of the Kings. People got executed based on (often flimsy) accusations of wanting kingship.
  
  Most of the Republican coins I've seen bear the head of a god or goddess and not a person, but I've noticed one which portrays Pompey the Great. This however, is from 44-43BC, and after his death (making it hard for him to issue it!), and after Julius Caesar had already (I think) issued his own coins.
  
  But be warned - my knowledge of Roman coins is not too hot either...
  
  RF
  
  p.s. Wikipedia's article on Julius Caesar states "Caesar was the first living man to appear on a Roman Republican coin." and "In yet more scandalous behavior, Caesar had coins minted bearing his likeness. This was the first time in Roman history that a living Roman was featured on a coin.".

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  Posted by lolbeeble (U1662865) on Friday, 17th March 2006

  Well so far as I was aware Rome did not start issuing minted coinage, struck on both faces, until the 270s when they had to start paying Greek allies for their military contribution to Rome's wars. As such the Roman King's never issued coinage though it is true that as Rome was a Rupublic it relied on symbols representing the state, much like the owl of Athenian coinage but of course the Hellrnistic monarchies did use personal images on their coin issues. Prior to this Rome had made do with roughly shaped bronze bits that would become the As, relying on the standard value attached to the metal content. The first silver denarii were struck with the head of Roma on one side and Romulus and Remus on the other. As it stands the symbols changed as different moneyers opbtained licenses to mint coinage across Italy although, reflecting the local concerns of the moneyer such as the emphasis on particular Gods or goddesses and scenes from the specatcles such as chariot racing or gladiatorial fights. Generally these commemorate games they or their family had staged as a further means of self promotion. By the Late Republic such self promotion through coinage had become even more marked as Imperator's were responsible for paying and pensioning their armies so they were more likely to include personal references to their acts to advertise their status to those using the coinage. Brutus had some coins minted celebrating his murder of Caesar displaying a liberated slave's cap between two knives. I beleive that it is Pompey Magnus who first had his face applied to coinage, albeit under the guise of the Ptolemaic dynasty's identity but Caesar is the first to use his image on coinage minted durinhg his consulship. That one hardly endeared him to the likes of Cato the Younger nevermind the unconstitutional manner with which he crossed It was also a handy means of maintaining his public profile during his prolonged absence in Gaul, as the regular supplies of precious metal plundered was sent back to Italy as coinage to be redistributed. After Caesars death Ptolemy Sextus issued coins with the likeness of his father on them whie Marc Anthony merely placed warships and standards on those issued before the battle of Actium. Augustus had no qualms about following Caesar's lead but then his image was practically everywhere across the Empire.

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  Posted by RainbowFfolly (U3345048) on Monday, 20th March 2006

  Were there ever any occasions when coins bearing the portrait of an individual were not accepted as legal tender (e.g. Julius Caesar after his death) or was silver always worth it's weight in ummm... silver?
  
  RF

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  Posted by mrmiyagi (U3546296) on Monday, 20th March 2006

  hey man! GET OUTTA MY FACE

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• Message 6

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  Posted by lolbeeble (U1662865) on Monday, 20th March 2006

  Well it seems the Imperial tax collectors were not too keen on accepting Marc Anthony's coins issued to pay the troops raised to fight at Actium on account of its metal content being signifantly lower than the coinage issued under the Empire and so reamined in circulation for years, at least until the official coinage reached sime level of purity. As such you are right that it was the value of the weight of precious metal as opposed to the type of coinage used that was imporatnt for most transactions.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by RainbowFfolly (U3345048) on Wednesday, 22nd March 2006

  Well it seems the Imperial tax collectors were not too keen on accepting Marc Anthony's coins issued to pay the troops raised to fight at Actium on account of its metal content being signifantly lower than the coinage issued under the Empire and so reamined in circulation for years, at least until the official coinage reached sime level of purity. As such you are right that it was the value of the weight of precious metal as opposed to the type of coinage used that was imporatnt for most transactions.Β 
  
  Was Marc Anthony trying to pull a fast one by reducing the metal content? I've always thought of him as being a bit shifty, especially after seeing Sid James' portrayal of him in "Carry on Cleo"...
  
  

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• Message 8

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  Posted by lolbeeble (U1662865) on Wednesday, 22nd March 2006

  Not really, more that the number of troops under arms across the Medditerranean in the Late Republic meant there was a shortage of bullion available to keep them supplied with wages so there had been some debasement in the content of silver in coinage during the period. Some of Marc Anthony's rushed issue are clearly restruck over older coins suggesting that he was paying the standard rate. They might be considered as promisary noted for greater reward in the event of victory.

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