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2.OutlinehistoryofRomanRepublicancoinage
adenominationalmarkdescribedasKX(crossed)”,ineffectaligatureofcharacters
comprisingthenumberXVI.Othersilvercoinsissuedatthistimehadthevalueof
halfadenarius(quinarius;denominationalmarkKV”)andaquarterofadenarius
(sestertius;denominationalmark–KIIS”)withaproportionatelyreducedweight.
Evenso,thequinariiandsestertiiwereneverissuedonthesamegreatscaleasthe
denarius,onwhichinpracticetheentireRomanmonetarysystemrested.Thebasic
systemofbronzedenominations–multiplesandfractionsoftheas–hadremained
unchangedsincethetimeoftheintroductionofaesgrave.Theonlydifferencewas
thatafterthe80sBC,theissueofbronzecoinagewasstopped,onlytoberevived
afewdecadeslater,duringthecivilwarsofthe40sBC.20Outsidethisconsistent
monetarysystemremainedthevictoriatus,asilvercoinwithaweightof3/4denarius,
introducedapproximatelyatthesametimeasthefirstdenarii,andtakenoutofuse
inthe170sBC.ThevictoriatustookitsnamefromthegoddessVictoriaportrayed
onitsreverse;onitsobversewastheheadofJupiter.Thevaluerelationshipofthe
victoriatusandthedenariusremainsanopenquestion.Finally,goldcoinswere
issuedinthelatethirdcenturyBCwithanominalvalueof20,40and60asses;
theirissuestoppedwiththeendoftheSecondPunicWar.Thenextregularissues
ofgoldcoinagewouldberevivedbyJuliusCaesaronlyinthe40sBC.
TheearliestRomancoinswereanonymous,inscribedonlywiththelegend
ROMAtoindicatetheRomanstateastheirissuer,orethnikon,inreferencetothe
citizensofRome,aformtakendirectlyfromGreekcoinage–ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝinthe
Greekversion,orROMANOintheLatin.Inprinciple,presumablyfromthefinal
yearsofthethirdcenturyBC,alreadyaftertheintroductionofthedenarius,the
productionofcoinsinRomewasundertheauthorityofjuniorofficials–tresviri
monetales(tresviriaereargentoauroflandoferiundo).Atthebeginning,beforetheend
ofthethirdcenturyandthebeginningofthenext,onlyaverysmallnumberof
coinswereprovidedwithinscriptionsthatcanbeinterpretedasthenameofthe
moneyer.Thepracticeofplacingthenamesofthetresvirimonetalesoncoinsbecame
widespreadduringthesecondcenturyBC.Startingfromtheendofthatcentury
thenamesofseniorRomanofficialsmaybeseenonasmallnumberofcoins.The
designsonbronzecoinsissuedduringthesecondandthefirstcenturyBCwere
standardized;apartfromaverysmallnumberofexceptionstheyhavetheimage
ofagodoragoddessontheobverse(asarule,Janusonasses,Saturnonsemisses,
Minervaontrientes,Herculesonquadrantes,MercuryonsextantesandRoma
orBellonaonunciae)andtheprowofashiponthereverse,analogicallyasinthe
finalissuesofaesgrave.Thedenominationalmarksonbronzecoins(KI”forthe
as,KS”forthesemis,andsoon)alsoremainpracticallyunchangedsincethetime
oftheintroductionofaesgrave.Thestandardizationofthedesignsinitiallyapplied
alsotothedenarii,whichhadontheirobversethehelmetedheadofRomaand
thegallopingDioscurionthereverse.Withtime,theDioscuriwerereplacedon
thereversebyanimageofagodoragoddessinaquadrigaorinabiga,hencethe
20Hollander2007,p.25.
