Coin Legends

-Lara Mittaud

A coin legend, from the Latin "legenda" meaning "the things that must be read," is any writing or lettering that appears on a coin. When appearing on ancient coins, particularly those of the Romans, lettering is often used to clarify some of the iconography, to identify a figure (often a deity) that the coin portrays, or to make a reference either to the officials in charge of coinage or to the political families which the officials supported. Often words and letters are used to commemorate certain political events, such as military victories or major events in a politician's career; the phrases employed to depict such events typically are idealized in order to portray the events in the most favorable manner to Rome or the specific individual. The coin legend, together with the coin type, serves a variety of purposes which shift throughout the development of coinage; beginning with the earliest coinage of Greece and moving through the Republican and Imperial coinages of Rome, coin legends serve to explicate, commemorate, represent, and portray many of the most notable figures and events of the ancient world.

Earliest examples of coins contain phrases or words generally devoid of political significance or insinuated political messages. These coins primarily contained words which identified either the figure depicted on the coin or the name of the issuing state. In early Greek coinage, the legend would commonly include letter abbreviations to denote the city-state that produced the coin. This facilitated coin identification and endowed the coin with greater value by backing the coin with the state authority. This use of the legend for identification purposes was continued in Macedon under the rule of Alexander the Great: often staters were marked with the legend "of King Alexander." Similarly, in early Roman coinage, coins would bear the mark of "ROMA" or "ROMANORUM," identifying either the Goddess Roma who was pictured on the coin, or the authority "of the Roman people."

Along these same lines, Roman mints later adopted the practice of striking the name of the ruling Emperor (or ruler) on the coins; this practice was useful both in ancient and in modern times since, in ancient times, it provided a mark of the authority who backed the coin, ensuring the coin's value; in the present day, the practice is highly useful in placing the coin within a historical period. By having a chronological sequence of Emperors marked in the coin legends, the process of referencing the coin's circulation is greatly facilitated.

As coinage developed, particularly in Rome, the state began to strike coins with more elaborate types, often depicting major political events, or subjects of frequent political discourse. For example, during the reign of Sulla, coins portray "Sulla as triumphator" (Howgego 68) and "display his equestrian statue labeled L. SULLA FELIX DIC(TATOR)" (Howgego 68), literally "Sulla, Happy Dictator." Types such as these are generally accompanied by a legend, both to identify the individual pictured and to help clarify the type's significance. More complex types, which might portray delicate political situations, almost always contained a legend which helped to color the coin's message; often coins were struck with the intention of portraying political events in a light more favorable to the state. For example, in Macedon, "when Philip was forced to buy off the Persians in AD 244 it was presented as the establishment of peace, "PAX FVNDATA CVM PERSIS" (Howgego 72).

Coins often portrayed common themes which generally mirrored the concerns and topics of Roman literature: typical themes included Victory, Peace, the Roman people, and especially liberty. "Libertas," or liberty, was a predominant element in Roman coinage, as is illustrated in one instance by the coinage of Galba After Galba had marched against Nero, the coinage of Galba contained the legend "LIBERTAS P(OPVLI) R(OMANI) RESTITVTA," indicating that "the liberty of the Roman people had been restored" (Howgego 73). In this instance, the depiction of the restoration of liberty seeks to show the "justification of tyrranicide" (Howgego 73) due to Nero's obstruction of liberty, thus coloring the event to suit political sentiment. The theme of liberty also appeared on the coins of Augustus, dubbing him "'champion of the liberty of the Roman people' (Libertatis P(opuli) R(omani) Vindex) on coins of 28 BC" (Howgego 76). The Senate and People of Rome (SPQR) also receive credit as the "ADSERTORI" of liberty "from the coins of Vespian struck in AD 71 with the inscription SPQR ADSERTORI LIBERTATIS PVBLICAE" (Howgego 76).

The legends of ancient coins typically reflect the most prominent values, events, and figures of the coining state. This is apparent particularly in Roman coins, where themes of victoritas and libertas, as well as the names of important individuals, often appear. A coin legend is immensely helpful in identifying the state to which the coin belongs, the historical significance of the type, and the general significance of the coin. As coinage developed, the legend became even more critical to the process of uncovering the political innuendoes and messages hidden within the imagery of the coin. The legend, together with the coin type, is essential, for it reveals the mythology, the beliefs, the history, and the values of the state.

WORKS CITED

Howgego, Christopher. Ancient History from Coins. Routledge; New York, NY: 1995.