The Caesar "Pack
Starting point for the historical arrangement of Caesar coins
A numismatist distinguishes three important periods of Roman imperial coinage:
A - the early and late Republic
B - the Roman imperial period (i.e. the empire until the division into Western and Eastern Rome)
C - the Byzantine Empire
The 12 beautiful Caesar coins, silver denarii from the period from Augustus to Domitian belong to the second (B) group.
What does the depiction of the Caesar coins reveal?
For numismatic observations, an obverse (the front or main side) and a reverse (the reverse) of a coin are always examined.
The obverse of Caesar coins mainly contains the portrait of the respective ruler with a frame of letters that reveal the name that matches the head. There may also be an attribute, e.g.: Priest's cap and augur's staff (for Caesar), small globe (for Nero). The head is often depicted crowned with a laurel wreath.
The reverse of Caesar coins can show a figure of a god, a priest or priestess, plowing oxen, the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus, etc.. Often, however, you will only see an inscription, e.g: IMP(erator) CAES(ar), AVG(ustus/usta).
Caesar is considered to be the first ruler to immortalize his face on coins during his lifetime (44 BC). Probably the most powerful and still the most famous general and statesman of Rome at the time, he thus defined the monarchical features of his reign, even though the empire was still formally a republic.
His successors continued the realistic depiction of the natural face. The tendency to idealize or heroize, as we know it from Greek pictorial art, would be sought in vain among the Romans.
Coinage system and currency units
There has been a fixed coinage system in the Roman Empire since Emperor Augustus. After the Battle of Actium (around 23 BC), the first undisputed autocrat ordered a basic concept for the minting of coin types, which was to eliminate the chaos of the Republic era and be maintained for 300 years.
From then on, all gold and silver coinage required imperial approval.
The issue of all brass and copper coins was nominally subject to the Senate.
These bore the designation SC (SENATUS CONSULTO. "by decision of the Senate").
Nominal value of Caesar coins
Aureus (gold) = 25 denarii (silver)
Denarius (silver) = 4 sestertii (brass or copper)
Sestercius (brass) = 4 aces (copper)
Dupondius (brass) = 2 aces (copper)
As (copper) = 4 quadrantes (copper)
The order of rank and value listed was valid for the entire territory of the Roman Empire, i.e. including the incorporated provinces of Central and Western Europe (Gaul, Spain, Britain, Germania, Pannonia, Illyria, etc.). This is referred to as an imperial coinage. Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine, Syria and Egypt had their own coinage systems. The latter were mainly based on the old drachma currency and bore Greek inscriptions.
Description of the Caesar coins
The twelve denarii presented here are well-made coin replicas of the Roman originals.
- Size: approx. 2 cm in diameter
- Material: Pure pewter with silver patina
- Origin: Great Britain
- 12 Roman coin copies
- Pure pewter patinated
Dating: modern, with reference to the Julius Caesar monarchy 48- 44 BC, the Julio-Caudian dynasty 31v. Chr.- 68 AD.
(in detail: Augustus 31 BC-14 AD, Tiberius 14-37 AD, Caligula 37-41 AD, Claudius 41-54 AD, Nero 54-68 AD, Galba 68-69 AD, Otho 69 AD, Vitellius 69 AD) and the Flavian Dynasty 69.96 AD (Vespasian 69-79 AD, Titus 79-81 AD, Domitian 81-96 AD).
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