How to Describe a Coin

-Kevin Hofelmann

Coins are one of the primary artifacts that archaeologists use to study ancient cultures and societies. Ancient coins are important because they survive intact, in their original form, unlike for example ancient literature which reflects a manuscript with the ensuing interpretations, interpolations, and errors. Coins are tangible symbols of the state and society that issued them, and as such they offer a window to understand the culture that created and legitimated their value.

In order to understand how scholars approach the classification of coins a set of terms and specifications for coins has been created as a way to analyze the historical significance and placement of individual coins. The parameters that are used are generally the following: Initially coins are grouped according to appearance. This is comprised of both the type (picture) and legend (text) on both the obverse ("head") and reverse ("tails") sides of the phlan (blank coin die)(Museum Fine Arts Boston). Also the actual material the coin is struck from, the denomination or unit of value assigned to the coin, where it was minted (the specific geographical location of the mint), and sometimes the region it was minted in (if known), the approximate date the coin was minted in and the corresponding historical period that the particular civilization was undergoing, and the issuing authority that authorized the coins value. In addition, coins are classified by actual weight in grams. Finally, coins are categorized according to subsequent alterations and also the province where the coin was discovered.       The most obvious category used to classify coins is its appearance. The appearance of the type (picture) and legend (text) on the front (obverse) and back (reverse) of the coin clearly differentiates all coins. The first coins were simply a bar of metal stamped with an identifying mark from the issuing authority. This progressed to the use of a set weight of metal made into a phlan (coin blank) that was minted with the mark of the issuing authority. This mark signified and guaranteed the coins value was guaranteed by the issuing state. Later, cities in Greece began to use iconography that glorified local deities or patrons. These icons evolved to become the types used on the obverse and reverse of their coins. The integration of a legend, which helped to clarify the significance of the type, quickly emerged. In classical Greece the obverse type was generally depicted a portrayal of a deity, whereas in the Roman Empire, coins began to incorporate portraits of the leaders on the obverse. The legends on the obverse and reverse generally serve to explain the type, or, more commonly, to proclaim the name of the issuing authority.

The metal a coin was struck from determined the actual value of the coin outside of its imprinted or minted value. The first forms of money were pieces of metal such as copper, gold, and bronze. A coin was created when the metal was imprinted with a distinguishing mark that guaranteed the value of the piece of metal beyond its value as bullion to the peoples of a specific area at a certain historical time. The use of different metals in coins depended upon the location of the issuing state and its mineral resources. A state with access to vast metal reserves such as Athens could mint large amounts of Athenian staters. Greek and Roman cities used different metals and alloys depending upon such factors as the value of a coin. The monetary value of a coin is determined while it is in circulation, by its denomination. The denomination is the value of a coin within the monetary system currently in use in a geographical area. The denomination is dependent upon a unit of measure that the whole money system is based upon. In the U.S., the unit is the dollar (pennies, dimes, and quarters are units of a dollar and we use multiples of the dollar for larger amounts). Denominations of an ancient coin were determined by the issuing authority and it did change at times. Initially denomination was tied somewhat to weight.

The place or city where a coin was minted is important in order to determine not only historical placement, but also individual differences if that area was one of many minting the same denomination of coin. On a whole, Greek states did not share a common denomination. The Roman Empire, on the other hand developed a clear system of denominations that was minted in many disparate locations. Therefore the region where a coin was minted could, and many times did, depict predominant deities or possibly significant military victories associated with that region.

The place where a coin was minted also offers a clue to the approximate date a coin was struck. Various statesmen in the Roman Empire celebrated military and political victories upon their coins. By comparing the types and legend on the coins with actual historical events, scholars can determine the area a coin was minted in and the period of time it dates from.

Another concern when classifying coins is who the issuing authority was. This can determine the relative value of a coin historically. Also the extent of a state‚s trade, through the distribution of its coins in a geographical area, can be elucidated. Furthermore, the relative influence of a state can be determined from the modern distribution of its coinage. If a particular states coinage is more widely distributed in the form of hoards now, it is possible to postulate the relative affluence, or confidence in that currency in the ancient world.    The actual weight of a particular denomination of coin in relation to another states‚ coin made of the same metal, helps scholars postulate relative affluence. As a general rule, the denominational value was only constant in the state that issued the coin. Therefore, if the coin strayed from its state of issuance it would hold less value or be used at its metal value. The distribution of coins of the same denomination, but issued by different states, can be used to determine relative affluence by ascertaining which states coinage was most widely used and therefore had the most confidence. The weight of the coins, or purity of composition, offers a glimpse into ancient states relative affluence through the use of and hoarding of its currency.   The categories scholars use to separate coinage are indicative of both the actual value of the coinage as artifacts of the emergence of money, and also their interpretive value as relics of a largely lost civilization. By using the aforementioned categories, scholars can more easily place a coin in a place and time in history. Furthermore, this placement allows scholars to interpolate other parts of these cultures by studying the iconography and comparing it with literary history.

WORKS CITED

Museum Fine Arts Boston. Roman Coin Collection. Online. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/PR/mfa.ann2.html

Roman Coins and Roman History. Page 1. online http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/art/buerger/essays/romanc2.html