Collections: Ancient Coins

Links lead to resources that are part of the Roman Imperial Coin Portaits online exhibit.

Greek Coins

Greek coinage began in the late 7th century B.C. as small lumps of electrum. These early coins were stamped with simple devices. Pure silver and gold coins were soon introduced, but coins were not used for daily transactions until the invention of bronze coinage at the end of the 5th century B.C. Greek coins were struck, not cast, and the coinage was based on a regulated weight standard; the value of each coin was determined by the amount of metal contained in it. The denominations were divisions, or fractions, of the principal coin, usually called a stater. Each Greek city-state issued its own coins and could adopt its own weight standard, but in the 6th century B.C. many Greek cities used a standard based on coinage of the island of Aegina. In the 5th century, the Attic standard prevailed in areas under Athenian sphere of influence, although the Aeginetan standard also continued in use elsewhere.

Alexander the Great adopted the Attic standard in the 4th century B.C., and it became the normal one for most currencies during the Hellenistic period (3rd to 1st centuries B.C.).

Coin devices, or types, identified both mint and denomination and occurred in great variety: for example, figures or heads of the principal gods and heroes; animals; products typical of the city-state; or subjects related to local myth. Some devices contained a punning allusion to the city's name, such as the rose (rodon) of Rhodes. Not until after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. did it become the usual practice to put the portrait of a human being on Greek coins.

Coin with Head of the Goddess Athena and Owl
Silver Tetradrachm from Athens, Greece
Obverse: Head of Athena, wearing an earring, a necklace, and a crested helmet adorned with an olive wreath and a floral ornament, facing right.
Reverse: Incuse square containing an owl standing facing out between an olive twig and the Greek legend .
5th century B.C.
(69.121)

Lysimachos, King of Thrace (306-281 B.C.)
Silver Tetradrachm from the Mint at Magnesia, Ionia
(modern Magnesia, Turkey)
Obverse: Head of the deified Alexander the Great, wearing diadem and horn of Ammon, facing right.
Reverse: Athena Nikephoros, wearing a crested helmet and a long chiton, seated left on a low stool, holding a small Nike in her right hand, resting her left elbow on a round shield.
Legend:
297-281 B.C.
(60.31.1)

Roman Provincial Coins

Roman provincial coins were issued by Greek cities during the period of the Roman empire. They are distinguished from western Roman coins by their Greek inscriptions. Although the obverse, or principal side, of Greek imperial coins usually bore a portrait of a member of the imperial family, the reverse, or back side, displayed a local type, often representing a monument, cult, or myth important to the issuing city. Such coins are sometimes our only surviving evidence for the appearance of these monuments and often provide cult information not known from other sources.

Augustus (27 B.C.-A.D. 14)
Bronze AE 22 from Antiocheia, Syria
(modern Antakya, Turkey)
Obverse: Head of Augustus, wearing laurel wreath, right.
Legend:
Reverse: legend in five lines:

5-4 B.C.
(64.66.4)

Septimius Severus (A.D. 193-211)
Bronze AE 45 from Saitta, Lydia
(modern Sidas Kale, Turkey)
Obverse: Bust of Septimius Severus, wearing laurel wreath, cuirass, and paludamentum, right.
Legend:
Reverse: The god Mên, in Phrygian dress, with crescent horns at his shoulders, standing r., facing the goddess Kybele, wearing a long chiton and a turreted crown, seated l. on a throne.
Legend:
Exergue:
A.D. 198-211
(2004.5)

Gordian III (A.D. 238-244)
Bronze AE 32 from Seleukeia-ad-Kalykadnon, Cilicia
(modern Selefke, Turkey)
Obverse: Bust of Gordian III, wearing laurel wreath, cuirass, and paludamentum, right.
Legend:
Reverse: Two Nikai, each wearing a long chiton, standing facing one another, together holding a shield on a three-legged table; on the shield, the Greek legend .
Legend:
A.D. 238-244
(73.8)

Roman Coins

The earliest coins of Roman Italy were cast, but contact with the Greeks of South Italy led to the introduction of struck silver and gold coinage. Several different silver coins were introduced in the 3rd century B.C., but one, the denarius, endured to become the predominant silver coin until it was withdrawn from circulation in the 3rd century after Christ. Like Greek coinage, Roman coinage was based on a weight standard. Over time, new denominations were introduced as reforms of the coinage system became necessary, particularly during the reign of the emperor Nero, in A.D. 64, and under the emperor Diocletian, in A.D. 294. In these reforms, the weights of precious-metal coins were reduced.

The Romans adopted the Hellenistic Greek practice of putting portraits on their coins. For the reverse types, representations of the major gods formed an important category. The reverses also recorded the personal qualities and achievements of the emperor. Thus, a common type was personification of a virtue like Liberalitas, generosity, or Virtus, virtue; personification of Victory or Peace constitutes an allusion to the emperor's achievements. Imperial events were recorded, such as the departure or arrival of the emperor in Rome, or his distribution of largesse. Illustrations or allusions to actual historical events were also depicted. Other reverse types show monuments in Rome, or refer to the important role of the army.

Petilius Capitolinus (moneyer in 43 B.C.)
Silver Denarius from the mint at Rome
Obverse: Bare head of Jupiter, facing right.
Legend: CAPITOLINVS
Reverse: Hexastyle temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, decorated with sculpture and hanging ornaments.
Legend: PETILLIVS
43 B.C.
(69.474)

Hadrian (A.D. 117-138)
Bronze Sestertius from the mint at Rome
Obverse: Bust of Hadrian, wearing a laurel wreath and drapery on his left shoulder, right.
Legend: IMP CAES DIVI TRA PARTH F DIVI NER NEP TRAIANO HADRIANO AVG
Reverse: Fortuna, wearing a long chiton, seated left on a low seat, holding a rudder in her r. hand, cornucopiae in her l. hand, to her l. and r, s | c.
Legend: PONT MAX · TR POT COS ·
Exergue: FORT RED
A.D. 117
(69.565)

Trajan Decius (A.D. 249-251)
Silver Antoninianus from the mint at Rome
Obverse: Bust of Trajan Decius, wearing a radiate crown, cuirass, and paludamentum, facing right.
Legend: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG
Reverse: Dacia, draped, standing l., holding a staff surmounted by an ass’s head in her r. hand.
Legend: D A C I A
A.D. 249-251
(69.687)