![]() This was a first for Rome, often called ‘the coin that killed Caesar’. Denarii, struck in 44 BC, include the phrase DICT. Licence CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia CommonsĪs Rome shifted from Republic to Empire under Julius Caesar, he became the first ruler to have his image depicted on coins, where gods and heroes previously figured. Reverse: Venus Victrix standing, holding Victory and sceptre. PERPETUO' inscribed on the left, 'CAESAR' on the right. Related: Baroque Silver Furniture: A Symbol of Power AR Denarius of Julius Caesar, 44 BC. When in the 1st century BC a social war erupted between the Romans and the Italian allies, the Italians minted coins depicting a bull – which was the symbol of their own nation – attacking the wolf. The she-wolf was such a powerful symbol of Rome that it was used against Rome in counter-propaganda coins. Licence CC-BY-SA-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Obverse: Head of Bacchus, wearing ivy wreath. The imagery became particularly relevant under the rule of Julius Caesar, who insisted on tracing his lineage all the way to the twins, in an attempt to legitimize his authority. The coin illustrates the twin founders of Rome, who, according to legend, were abandoned in the woods and suckled by a she-wolf. In this style, one of the most popular coins was the Romulus and Remus follis. Early Roman designs were conservative, often portraying personifications of Gods such as Jupiter, Mars, and Juno, or the heroic legends of Rome’s past. This was a break with the Greek tradition, in which tyrants frequently featured on currency. Thinking it unfitting for a Republic to bear the images of their rulers on their coins, the first coins of Rome depicted religious and mythological imagery. Related: How to Become an Outstanding Stamp Collector AE follis of Urbs Roma, circa 3rd century BC. Others were less common, but served as a model for later cultures, such as the British pound and South American peso, which both take their name from the Roman libra. Some denominations lasted throughout the centuries, such as the sestertii and denarii. From the 3rd century BC onwards, Roman currency frequently changed in form, denomination and composition. When the economic conditions caused by the Punic Wars (264-146 BC) began to impose on Rome, the Republic minted its first true coin, the Aes Signatum (‘signed bronze’). Romans adopted a system of currency much later, having initially used the Aes Rude (‘rough bronze’ in Latin), a literal nugget of bronze, as a type of proto-currency for at least four centuries. The Greeks pioneered the use of coinage, which started circulating in Asia Minor as early as the 7th century BC. Licence CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Bronze Aes Rude from 5th-4th century BC, Italy. “Give them bread and circuses, and they will never revolt,” advised the poet Juvenal, and Roman politicians knew to issue coins with images of theaters and grain distributions. ![]() “I added Egypt to the empire of the Roman people”, boasted the Emperor Augustus in his memoirs, and soon after the conquest, coins were minted depicting it. Since the Romans began minting coins in the 3rd century BC, they took on great importance in popular culture, often serving as a means of propaganda for the elites. Since antiquity, coins have reflected the culture that produces them: political, social and religious imagery has always been conveyed through currency.
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