101* 



M KISV \T'. 1 



U* moderation of Tiberiu*. the clemency of Vitelliu*. UK) the triumph. 

 of Dotuiiian, and are fortunately corrected by the pen of the historian. 

 The aiM of the Mtertia* allow* aoope for the skill of the artwt. 

 From Augustus to Nero the style improve*, and continues excellent 

 from Ve*paian to Hadrian. After Couimodiu, the art decline* till 

 the fall of the Gordians ; and the subsequent pieces exhibit > remark- 

 able degeneracy, especially at the time of Gallieuus, the portrait* only 

 howiag any merit. 



II. The next size to these coins is the go-called second or middle 

 bran, consisting of two metal* and two different denominations : the 

 jupmdim, dtbtUa, or half Moterce, (truck in brass, and the <M of 

 para copper. The dupondius underwent the same changes as the 

 sestertius till the time of GoUieniM, when it was suppressed, having 

 been reduced by Severus Alexander to Jrds of its weight. This series 

 is important for being more continuous than the large brass, few 

 imperial portraits being wanting, and some being absolutely MqpUkf 

 to complete the first brass series, as Agrippa, Tiberius, Pertinax, and 

 some others. At the time of Diocletian, the term second brass is 

 usually applied to the follis of } OB. weight by collectors, and reappears 

 from Aurelian to Anastasius, which circulated along with the brass 

 denarius, first struck by Philip, equal to four sestertii. 



III. This series consists of Roman semisses and quodrantes, although 

 some have erroneously regarded them as the uncia. They are pieces 

 issued by the moneyers under Augustus and Tiberius, and r. 

 under Caligula with imperial portraits, one of the finest being that of 

 Nero ; it is common under Donation, Hadrian, and the Antouines, 

 after which it disappears till the age of Decius. The greatest portion 

 of the series, as arranged in cabinets, comprises the base denarii issued 

 by Gailienus and the thirty Tyrants, down to the r< letian ; 

 after which period it U profusely abundant in types and varieties, and 

 becomes the aasaiion under Diocletian ami his successors, <!:. 



with Julian III., and ceases to be distinct in the divisions ,.f K. -I,', 

 1, In ifiiiminia of the follis. A complete series in 3rd brass is impos- 

 sible, as no pieces of this size exist from the age of Hadrian till (lallicnns. 

 Many of the earlier specimens were struck by the money-era, and several 

 have no imperial portraits, but only heads of deities and SC. on the 

 reverse ; and with them the quodrantes, issued from the mines of 

 Noriciim, with the inscription METAL, are generally classed. 



(.'oius of a larger size than the ordinary currencies have been 

 called medallions, a word derived from the Italian .again 



derived from the Greek mrtallmi. The decadrachms of 

 and Syracuse, have been thus called, but the term is more properly 

 applied to the large pieces of the Roman series. Some few of gold 

 and silver occur under the upper Empire, but silver medallions 

 re most prevalent after Constantino ; one of the most remarkable and 

 toe heaviest being that of Prisons Attains, in the l',riti.-h Museum. 

 After the time of lladiian, bron/e medallions, heavy and thick pieces, 

 stmck by the emperor without the authority of the senate, an i 

 til two metals appear. These are the ancient mi&tilia, so i-allud from 

 being hurled into the amphitheatre. They ore Bonn of two 



metals, the outer portions for ;th or \ inch being of copper when the 

 body is of bronze, or rite irnwi, and are often found set in flat disks 

 measuring 6 inches diameter, and forming part of the standards of the 

 manipiili and vexillatious, being with the busts part of the sacred 

 efftgie* placed in the chapels of the legions and adored l>y them. At 

 the time of Severus they are often w Imlly or partially gilded, and some- 

 times ringed for suspension. They were also probably given as military 

 rewards. These pieces are of great rarity anil interest, but the subjects 

 on them are the same or similar to the Roman first brass. They are 

 ancient proof* or medals properly so called. 



Another kind of medals are called by the numismatist 

 " encircled," or rtvocati, and are about 2 inches in diameter. They ore 

 su numH from a deep groove which runs between the legend and th<- 

 n curtailing the letters of the legend, and the edge is 

 generally flanged. Some rare examples !,:.,, their subjects' 

 nidti* fayrntt They have on the obverse the busts of deities, emperors, 

 personages, poets, or philosophers, and in I !: area the unex- 

 plained monogram P E, a palm branch, lion, and nt, 

 punched or incisrd, and often inlaid in silver, and on the other ligm -en 

 gruup* and mythological subject*, probably copied from celebrated 

 works of art then extant. A very prevalent type is that of a quadriga, 

 alluding to the Ciroense*. Legends on the obverse refer to the bu-t 

 represented ; but many of those on the reverse are votive exelan 

 to charioteer), or athletes, a* VltSE VINCAS., OLTMl'l NIK A.. 

 "M H.Ai'KAS. ("May y.iu com|uer, oh, Ursus I ( llyinptii-, 

 conquer ; Petroniua, may you please "). They are supposed to have been 

 struck from the time of Gratian, A.D. 376, to the reign of Anthcmius, 

 A.U. 472, the last emperor represented on them. The object for which 

 they were struck is unknown, whether for throwing into the Circus, or 



rwntation to miccexaful charioteer*. The portraits of II r. 



!4allut, and Horace are found on them, but of late date and apo- 

 cryphal character. These medal* are often chased or imitated in the 

 time* of the renaissance. (Sabatier, J., ' Description Gendrale del 

 Medallions oontorniatos,' 4to, 1860.) 



Similar to the contnrniati are a clam of medalleU of the size of the 

 >rd bras*, having on one side numbers from i. to xxix., and on the 

 other bust* and other representation*, chiefly of an indecent nature. 

 Th*w little piece* are called tj-int/iriv, and an supposed to have been 



.-r 



M'MISMAI - 



issued by Tiberius, I'lor.ilia, Others, of the 



alsostriiek for trium: !: ' ' r p->pu 



oven for quack doctors. With these may bu also clawed leaden 

 uwd as seals, tokens, or tickets (Eckhcl, I >..eti . N i 

 such a* are said to have been issued by n, and 



others, for largesse* to the populace. Money was thrown on great 

 occasions into the arena of the circus and amphitheatre. 

 uile the consuls were only 



The types of the Itoman coins differ ft "in the Greek, 



commencing at a period when the arts were in a rapid state of 

 and the treatment more pictorial, as is shown by the numerous i 

 often introduced upon the reverse. While, too, the Greek .niton 

 coins represent deities, or animals, and einbl 



assume an historical character, and abound with allegorical figures- of 

 mental qualities, as apt*, or : nee; prun 



prudence; fda, faith ; lalitin, joy; while liberality, peace, honour, 

 virtue, fortune, and the like, ore portrayed by their respective figure*; 

 which, the principal deities of the I'autlieon are represented, 

 or public events as they appeared at the time, as prostrate pi 



:ien at the adlocutions or a d the sacrifices of the 



Decennalia, the emperor on horseback in his decmsio, ami tin- 

 public buildings represented in a conventional manner. These are 

 often accompanied with inscriptions recording the name of tin 

 or allegory represented. The types of the Koman coins aru 

 more pictorial than Greek, but not so much so as modern medals, 

 on which numerous figures and aerial penipaetvra are introduced. 



Besides the usual types, occasionally smaller impressions stamped 

 from punches are found on coins. On the autono; .series 



there are generally the types of other states, and \ 



ees currency in their territory; I 



three have been found on one coin, ad F1EP for Pergamns. THAA for 



1 man aeries they appear as brands, 



the emperors countennarking the coins of their predecessors ; w lulu 

 other marks, such a.s SI'., S I'lj K.. seem to indicate that the elfigy or 

 coin was can- ' hese letters, and other . ie.face- 



mcnts of possessors ore found; but these are in letters incised, not in 

 relief. At Home, count; -r.uark.s commence under Augustus and con 

 tinuc till Trajan, reappear in i i'.mpire under .ItiMinian, and 



are found as late as Anastasius. Some marks are supposed to have 

 been imprebsed by the R/-///H/-.' I'li. M.l'K, and BoN, to 



indicate tnuntta ju- '", approved, buna, good or passed, coin. 



The inscriptions on the Roman coins are much more i-opi,,n 

 those on the Greek autonomous. On the consular serie- they li 

 names of the personages r< piv.-cnti d.and the triumviri of the mint. (In 

 the nnperialcoins the inscriptions on the obverse l>ave the name an 

 of the emperor, which arc som inued on tho reverse. These 



have the abridgments comnt D inscriptions, as 1 M !' 



. AVGustu*,COnSul: I>. N., domains n.,>t,-r : 1'. I- 1 .. 1'in. 

 PP., Pater Patrue; TKibuuitia POTwtete ; or 'I'll. 1'., the same. The 

 reverses of the bronze have always the S. C., reierring to their being 

 struck by Senatus Cousultum, which is to be distinguished from tho 



1 '.. showing that the type referred to some .1 

 The other con re too numerous to be given, but I; 



to the restoration of certain coins made by the rmpcrnis. either of the 

 pieces coined by their predecessors or an <]ect of tho 



often a full inscription, OK .l..,>\ 1 FAS.. SI'KS.. A','\ A 

 TI'AIANA, explaining the figure, but of Philip 



letters appear in the area of ti 'i seem to be the initial ot' the 



names of the mint, the first hitlu-it rafarrad ! ing tlm.-,- <>i Tarraco 

 and Siscia on the coinsof I'robns. Knun oi thu 



they are constantly placed in the exergue, gci. 

 .-im P., ]>ercuMsa, or |n unia, .r S.M., s 

 as S M A N T., sacra moneta Autioi 1 <im ; or M-oncta only. 



The principal mints are, Alexandria, ANTiochia, .\i, 



. l.iiNclinum. l.\'(idnnum. usr,-,. 



. "I'll l.\ !',! -. Tli< Latin mints have t i !' i mineral* 



indicative of their sizes, offices, or issues, and tb m A.II.I'.A. 



for the same. From the time of Probus, XXI. the number of these 

 pieces which went to the denarius are marked, and on the gold after 

 Constantino OB, the Greek for 72 occurs on the solidus, after the name 

 of the mint. Only one date of the A.V.C. DOCCIAMV. is found on the 

 Roman series. Some blunders occur, either th, ,,r the 



result of official carelcwncss, a* Consecrautio for Consecratio, Mletain 

 propugnatorem for Martcm propugnatorem, lanum Clusti for Clusit, 

 : for Faustina. 



As the triumviri monutoles could not impress UJMUI the public money 

 .n effigies, they jilaced upon it the most memorable event* 

 of their family history, and hence tin- auiei and argentci of thi 

 present several remarkable types. The brass coinage is lees in; , , 

 the a* ha* the head of Janus ; the semis, Jupiter ; the triens, M mei \.i ; 

 drans, Hercules; the sextans, Mercury; the unciM, Mm.iva 

 or Juno. All have the ship on the reverse. Those with the 

 of the triumviri inonctalvs present no more interest The' older types 

 of those denarii have the head of Kni'- n the obverse, and on tho 

 reverse i four-horse chariot, whence they weie called quadrigati, "i- 

 one of two horses, bigati, or the Dioscuri ou horseb: ! types 



have ou the obverse the heads of deities, personifications, as 



