Roman Coins: Elementary Manual

It is from this frame (called in Italian Contorno) that they are called Contorniates by all nations.

315. Generally, a head or a bust is represented on one side, most often that of a Roman Emperor, frequently of Nero or Trajan; sometimes the head is that of a divinity, or of some celebrated personage; Alexander the Great, Hercules, Roma, Minerva, Homer Horace, Virgil, or similar heroes. On the Reverses are found varied scenes taken from mythology, history, or from the real life of the games and the circus, quadrigas, horsemen, charioteers, sometimes accompanied by a name as STEFANVS... or by an augury, IOANNES VINCAS... &c.

The greater number of the Contorniates are cast, and only a few struck, and they vary as to type, fabric, and artistic value according to the period and the circumstances in which they were issued.

316. In regard to the date of their issue we must not consider them contemporaneous with the Emperors whose portraits they bear. Judging from their style, the errors in orthography, or history, from the base Latin found in the legends, and also from several of the portraits, we must assign to them a date during the third and fourth centuries, or from the reign of Constantine the Great and onwards. All are now agreed on this point.

317. The point indeed on which the learned have not yet been able to agree is the destination and use of these medallions.

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The fact that the Emperors most famous for their games are figured on them in preference to others, the many designs on the Reverses relative to the games and the fact that all the mythological subjects can also be easily referred to the theatre, have caused some to adopt the general idea that the Contorniates served some purpose relative to the games, and, going into detail, some think they were admission tickets; others that they were thrown to the

victors; others, that they were amulets or charms carried for good luck.

But all these guesses are far from convincing, because, as tesseræ or entrance tickets to the games, the Contorniates were in intrinsic value far above the price which the people paid when they did not enter without payment at all; they could not have been prizes for the victors because it would have been against the rules which were in vogue concerning the charioteers, athletes and actors at that time. They can hardly have been talismans or amulets because they were not adapted in shape or dimensions to be worn as such. And moreover whatever we may think of the three guesses above noted, how shall we explain the devices on the reverses? What should be the signification of the differents heads?

318. Hence when we abandon the three hypotheses put before us and admit that the Contorniates must have been issued for some object, we must have recourse to a new hypothesis, and I think it may be found quite naturally in considering that they were simply medals for some playing games.

Fig. 90. A Contorniate incised by hand.

For our own modern games we use cards, the ancients instead used the medallions. Every point may easily be explained by this hypothesis, and all the difficulties vanish as by enchantment with all the objections which present themselves in face of all the other hypotheses.

We have no longer any need to study why certain heads were chosen and others rejected, nor what may have been the hidden meaning of the numerous designs of the reverses.

A game is fantastic in its nature and does not demand any reasoning in the explanation of one device being chosen rather than another. If any one gave himself the task of finding a reason for the designs on our playing cards he would certainly waste his time.

319. There are among the Contorniates some with the reverse

smooth and polished without any device or inscription; a fact which has never been sufficiently explained.

But this also is almost explained by the new hypothesis supposing that there were some of these medallions equivalent in a certain sense to zero or a blank.

If any one were to ask then what sort of game it was for which these Contorniates served, I should certainly be unable to reply; but would only observe that we have lost the memory of far more recent games.

At any rate the hypothesis that these were game tokens appears to me to be supported by far more valid reasons than are the preceding guesses.

A small number of Contorniates exist upon which the designs are incuse instead of being in relief, and these look as if they were of the nature of a matrix or die.

The incisions on these were evidently made by hand alone. They are moreover very rare, and each specimen is unique. There are also others, but fewer in number, executed by hand, but in reliet.

320. From a commercial point of view, the Contorniates may he valued at from 25 shillings to £4, according to their preservation, their style, or the interest of their designs. In exceptional cases, they sometimes fetch higher prices. As to the heads, which are represented upon them, those of Alexander the Great, of Nero, and of Trajan are the most common.

CHAPTER XXXIX

THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE IMPERIAL COINAGE

321. Some of the observations made concerning the classification of the Republican coinage are naturally applicable though in different degrees to the coins of the Empire.

Here the chronological order of the Emperors in undoubtedly imposed upon us, but the question arises concerning details of the classification of the coins of each Emperor.

Ought we to arrange them in the chronological order of the years of the reign, or in any other system?

Eckhel tried to introduce, and in fact adopted in his work Doctrina, the chronological order, at least as far as was possible, for all the coins do not give the information necessary to assign them to one year rather than another in a given reign. For we find in every

reign, after we have classified all the coins which by the consulate, or the tribunate, or by some special fact, give to us a precise indication of the year in which they were struck, certain coins to which it is impossible to attribute a date more exact than the period of the reign; Eckhel therefore arranged these under the title of coins of uncertain date (nummi vagi).

322. Though this system may be applied in great museums as more rational and scientific, it does not appear to be in practice advisable for private collectors, partly because of the vast knowledge of varied details which it presupposes, partly because of the difficulties involved in readily finding a coin in a collection. Hence the alphabetical order of the Reverses is preferable, although altogether empirical, and is the order generally adopted, as it very greatly assists those seeking to identify any single coin.

323. Another important question concerning the classification of this series is, where are the Greek and Colonial coins to be placed? Should they be arranged with those struck in the Roman mint, or should they form a series by themselves?

Most collectors get over the difficulty by limiting themselves to the collection of coins from the Roman mint; that is to say of coins struck not only in Rome itself, but also in the other Imperial mints.

And indeed this series is so vast in itself that it may well suffice for any private collector however he may be provided with will and means.

324. Those who desire to dedicate their attention to the whole series of the Imperial coinage must choose between two plans. Either arrange the series under the heads of the Emperors, and in that case make subdivisions under each name for the coins of the Roman and foreign mints, with Latin or Greek legends; or arrange the collection according to the Mints, and in that case the division will be geographical, the coins being arranged according to the nations, cities, or rulers; some classes will be of autonomous coins, others of coins bearing the symbol of Roman rule.

The choice between these two systems can only be made by determining on what special studies the collector wishes to engage and which system will best aid therein.

CAIUS CAESAR, son of Agrippa and Iulia. Caius
Caesar.

JULIUS CESAR. Caius Iulius Caesar.

BRUTUS.

Marcus Iunius Brutus.

CASSIUS. Caius Cassius Longinus.

DOMITIUS. Cnæus Domitius Ahenobarbus.

SEXTUS POMPEY.

Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius.

LEPIDUS. Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.

MARCUS ANTONIUS. Marcus Antonius.
FULVIA, wife of M. Antony. - Fulvia.
OCTAVIA, wife of M. Antony. - Octavia.
CLEOPATRA, mistress, afterwards wife of M.
Cleopatra.

ANTYLLUS, Son of M. Antonius and Fulvia.
Antonius.

CAIUS ANTONIUS, brother of M. Antonius.
Antonius.

LUCIUS ANTONIUS, brother of M. Antonius.

Antonius.