Many of the finest appeared on the large brass sesterces down to the 3rd century and on the even larger bronze medallions produced for presentation but particular care was taken over the portraits for gold, which, being softer, showed a beautiful and highly sensitive impression.
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The great series of imperial portraits, from Augustus to Romulus in ad 476, is artistically outstanding. Emphasis on the personality of the emperor (extended sometimes to empresses, sons, or deceased members of the imperial house) was a powerful propaganda instrument in a coinage that circulated throughout a vast empire. The use of Caesar’s own portrait upon coinage set a precedent although under Augustus and Tiberius token denominations occasionally lacked the imperial portrait, it was thereafter an essential element of virtually every gold, silver, and bronze coin of the official mints, as also of nearly all provincial and local coins. Henceforth, it worked in sections-six were normal later-controlled immediately by an imperial procurator and staffed by slaves or freedmen. In fact, the old senatorial mint was transferred from the temple of Juno Moneta on Rome’s Capitoline Hill and merged, probably after the fire of 64, with an imperial mint for gold and silver elsewhere in the capital. This was logical, since his economic powers were equally comprehensive. But S C also appeared on bronze from Lyon and Antioch in imperial provinces, showing that whatever nominal senatorial rights of coinage still lingered on-the tresviri are known until the 3rd century-the emperor wielded effective control over all metals everywhere. The bronze of Rome was marked S( enatus) C( onsulto) and continued to bear the names of the tresviri monetales-masters of the mint, now reduced to their traditional number-until 4 bc. Official mintages were supplemented by a mass of regional or local coinages, while official coinages from eastern mints provided necessary currency for local Roman frontier forces. After 64 Rome was once more the chief mint for all metals. From 12 bc, Lugdunum ( Lyon), with other mints of uncertain identity, undertook the main western coinages in gold, silver, and bronze. The Rome mint was reopened about 20 bc for gold and silver and remained open for this purpose until about 12 bc its bronze continued irregularly. Bronze also was mainly eastern, though some was struck at Nemausus (Nîmes). Gallienus’ double denarius of copper and silver, leached to give a more silver-rich surface, marked a monetary breakdown, only partially cured when Diocletian and Constantine again made gold the firm basis for supplementary pure silver and abundant copper coinage.Īugustus’ earliest gold and silver were coined chiefly in the east-e.g., at Ephesus and Pergamum-and more briefly at Emerita in Spain. Under Septimius Severus it reached 40 percent, and Caracalla issued a debased double denarius of the weight of only 1 1/ 2 denarii. Nero in ad 64 lightened aureus and denarius to 1/ 45 and 1/ 96, respectively, but debasement of silver subsequently took place. Token coinage consisted henceforth of brass sesterces and dupondii (equal to four and two asses, respectively), with copper asses, halves, and quarters, the as being the most common.
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