DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49262#0111
ch. iv] THE COINAGE AND THE STATE 91
The coinage of bronze was permitted in enormous quantities.
The right was, even so, strictly controlled by the home govern-
ment. There were only two senatorial1 mints (Rome and
Antioch), and local issues supplied the remainder of the bronze
coinage. The bronze coins issued by Roman procurators in
Judaea (of which later) may perhaps form another class. The
local issues are of two kinds, those bearing the heads of
emperors or personages of the Imperial family, mostly em-
presses, and those with a quasi-autonomous type. The emperors
or empresses are occasionally identified with deities ; Plautilla
appears as ΝΕΑ ΘΕΑ ΗΡΑ, Commodus as HPAKAHC ΡΩΜ AIOC
(Pl. XIII. 2). Similarly even on Roman coins we find Livia
in the character of PI ETAS.
Next to the heads of emperors, and forming a transition to
the more frankly autonomous types, come the personifications
ofthe Roman Senate (KPA CVNKAHTOC, ΘΕΟΝ CVNKAHTON,
Pl. XIII. 6) and of Roma herself (ΘΕΑ ΡΩΜΗ, ΘΕΑΝ ΡΩΜΗΝ,
Pl. XIII. 6). These are limited to senatorial provinces, or
rather, one may say, to the province of Asia2.
The individual city is represented on its coins by its ΔΗΜΟΕ
(Pl. XIV. 9, 10), BOVAH (ΙΕΡΑ BOVAH, Pl. XIV. 11),
TEPOVCIA (ΙΕΡΑ FEPOVCIA), or personified, in which case
the name of the city, or simply ΠΟΛΙΕ, is inscribed beside
the bust. A fine coin of Sardes (Pl. XIII. 1) has a representa-
tion of the Μητρόπυλις Σάρδις ’ Α,σίας λυδίας 'Ελλάδος a. But the
greater number of these quasi-autonomous coins bear repre-
sentations of deities or heroes locally important, such as Zeus
Poteos at Dionysopolis (Pl. XIV. 12).
The right of coinage gradually became more and more an
empty honour. The greater part of the later bronze coinage
of Asia Minor seems to have been connected with local festivals
and games, and coins were probably issued in vast numbers on
these occasions in order to supply the wants of the unusual
mints from which silver was issued was considerably reduced. Again,
under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius there were numerous changes, some
mints being closed, other new ones opened, many only for a few years.
1 See p. 50, for the authority of the Senate in the matter of coinage.
2 ΡΩΜΗ occurs outside the province, as at Amisus and Alexandria.
The interference of the Roman Senate in local affairs is evidenced at
Laodicea in Phrygia by the phrase Δόγμα-π ’Συνκλήτου, which is equivalent
to Senates Consulto.
The coinage of bronze was permitted in enormous quantities.
The right was, even so, strictly controlled by the home govern-
ment. There were only two senatorial1 mints (Rome and
Antioch), and local issues supplied the remainder of the bronze
coinage. The bronze coins issued by Roman procurators in
Judaea (of which later) may perhaps form another class. The
local issues are of two kinds, those bearing the heads of
emperors or personages of the Imperial family, mostly em-
presses, and those with a quasi-autonomous type. The emperors
or empresses are occasionally identified with deities ; Plautilla
appears as ΝΕΑ ΘΕΑ ΗΡΑ, Commodus as HPAKAHC ΡΩΜ AIOC
(Pl. XIII. 2). Similarly even on Roman coins we find Livia
in the character of PI ETAS.
Next to the heads of emperors, and forming a transition to
the more frankly autonomous types, come the personifications
ofthe Roman Senate (KPA CVNKAHTOC, ΘΕΟΝ CVNKAHTON,
Pl. XIII. 6) and of Roma herself (ΘΕΑ ΡΩΜΗ, ΘΕΑΝ ΡΩΜΗΝ,
Pl. XIII. 6). These are limited to senatorial provinces, or
rather, one may say, to the province of Asia2.
The individual city is represented on its coins by its ΔΗΜΟΕ
(Pl. XIV. 9, 10), BOVAH (ΙΕΡΑ BOVAH, Pl. XIV. 11),
TEPOVCIA (ΙΕΡΑ FEPOVCIA), or personified, in which case
the name of the city, or simply ΠΟΛΙΕ, is inscribed beside
the bust. A fine coin of Sardes (Pl. XIII. 1) has a representa-
tion of the Μητρόπυλις Σάρδις ’ Α,σίας λυδίας 'Ελλάδος a. But the
greater number of these quasi-autonomous coins bear repre-
sentations of deities or heroes locally important, such as Zeus
Poteos at Dionysopolis (Pl. XIV. 12).
The right of coinage gradually became more and more an
empty honour. The greater part of the later bronze coinage
of Asia Minor seems to have been connected with local festivals
and games, and coins were probably issued in vast numbers on
these occasions in order to supply the wants of the unusual
mints from which silver was issued was considerably reduced. Again,
under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius there were numerous changes, some
mints being closed, other new ones opened, many only for a few years.
1 See p. 50, for the authority of the Senate in the matter of coinage.
2 ΡΩΜΗ occurs outside the province, as at Amisus and Alexandria.
The interference of the Roman Senate in local affairs is evidenced at
Laodicea in Phrygia by the phrase Δόγμα-π ’Συνκλήτου, which is equivalent
to Senates Consulto.